The Lord, the Pride of Israel, has sworn: “I won’t forget your deeds! - Amos 8:7

The last few days we have had Old Testament readings from the Book of Amos, and we do again today. If you are poor, then today’s readings will warm your heart. God is watching over you and has your best interests at heart. Because it is those who take advantage, and “rip off”, widows, orphans and the poor – that God is warning He won’t forget their deeds. God wants justice for the poor.

The introduction of Amos in "The Way" is Titled, "Some Dream of Food". It talks of Poverty being dirt, you may think, anybody, no matter how poor can, with effort, keep things clean. But what happens when you are so poor that you can't afford soap. When electricity and hot water are a luxury. To bring this truly into today's perspective there are people in the USA, working full-time as nurses and in other essential services who are being evicted from their rental homes because rents have skyrocketed and they have had to choose between rent or food. The math isn't working anymore. One solution some desperate people found was to form co-operatives, buying property as a group and building tiny homes and sharing in tiny home village communities to survive. Some have refurbished old buses and train cars as homes. These are ordinary working people, some single parents, some elderly and veterans forced into this measure because otherwise they would be homeless. Some were already reduced to living in their car's. How many elderly can no longer survive on a pension, due to soaring prices.

The gap between rich and poor is growing. Where are the Churches you ask? Some of them are helping organize and providing the basic property for free for some of these villages and initiatives to help house people. Many are joining in with labor, helping to build tiny homes and larger ones with organizations like 'Habitat for Humanity' and some help with 'Operation Blessing". Here in New Zealand, we are lucky to live in a Nanny state, but 112,496 people are currently reported to be experiencing some type of homelessness or severe home deprivation = living rough, sleeping in their vehicles, couch surfing or in very temporary accommodation. One Auckland family who wanted to help, put a shipping container at the end of their section and turned it into a tiny home for someone. One less person homeless. Most run foodbanks or free meals once a week.

Our last reading is instructions concerning prayer, and I am sharing one also: - To those poor and honest, remember:

Your Father will give good gifts to those who ask....” - Matthew 7:11

God loves us, we are his children, he wants to be generous to us. He knows what we need. Talk to Him, He is never too busy to listen.

‘Pray the largest prayers. You cannot think of a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger. Pray not for crutches but for wings.’ - Phillip Brooks

God loves you, He wants the best for you. Nobody’s voice sounds sweeter to Him than yours. Nothing in the world keeps Him from directing His full attention to your requests. So come to Him in prayer and be kind to one another and remember that helping others less fortunate is the greatest gift you can give to God and to the World.