Devotion – Living a good-news life

The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to announce release to captives and freedom to those in prison. Isaiah 61: 1

When was the last time you heard a piece of good news?

Our television newscasts and newspapers are full of bad news. Sometimes our own lives or the lives of people we know seem like one ‘bad-news story after another’.

In his Little Book on Joy, Matthew Harrison describes the Christian faith as holding ‘the secret to living a good-news life in a bad-news world’. A good-news life is one in which the message of Jesus is front and centre. It is a life that rejoices in God’s small gifts of grace, despite the bad news around us and within us.

Re-read the above verse from Isaiah.

Isaiah announced it, Jesus fulfilled it (Luke 4:18-21). It was God’s plan all along to bring good news to a bad-news world. Even now he works to bring ‘joy and gladness instead of grief, a song of praise instead of sorrow’. And he continues to send us his Holy Spirit to help us lead a good-news life in a bad-news world.

Father in heaven, thank you for the good news announced by Isaiah and fulfilled by your Son. Bring healing and release in my life, and strengthen me by your Holy Spirit to share your good news with other people. In the name of Jesus. Amen

Devotion by Ben Pfeiffer from “Time Out … with Jesus” (Australian Church Resources, 2014)

Prayer Points

We pray that all our community members who are suffering from sickness be restored to full health

We pray for the health and safety of our country and our local community

We ask God to grant us wisdom and compassion in our relationship with others

We give thanks for the gift of grace that God has given to us

We pray for the Cohlung, Fachhai and Galea-Dexter families

Micah Award

To Bie Tei Hmo for showing love, compassion and service

To Dhal for showing love and appreciation of other students