Proverbs 31

PROVERBS 31:20

DOING GOOD DEED FOR THE POOR & FOR THE LORD

Have you ever wanted to help the poor but didn’t know where to start? Here are some ideas that our family has used in the past and present. We hope they do “spark a fire in your hearts” to think of more ways to reach out to the needy. It is a wonderful way to show you are interested and care about them.

Aside from purchasing groceries, giving folks a gift card to a store or writing a check for their needs, listed below are some other ideas:

1. Doing good deeds, mitzvot in the Hebrew, which are done in “secret” are the best ones. They earn the greatest rewards. (Matthew 6:1-4) If you see a need, don’t tell others, possibly not even the person on the receiving end; just go do it. Are you a mechanic? Fix their car. Are you a used car salesman? Find them a car and, if possible, purchase it for them as a family project. Are you a plumber or contractor? Fix their porch, roof, toilets, sink faucets, etc. Are you a house painter? Paint their home, inside and/or out. Do you sew? Make their children some clothing or curtains for the house. Then, give the glory to the LORD.

2. If you have children, any age, which play musical instruments or sing, they could go to the home with a gift offering of food in a basket and sing and/or play for them. We purchase our baskets at thrift shops, spray paint them and tie a pretty bow on the handle or basket side. You could give items like whole-grain breads, muffins or cookies, all-fruit jams or jellies, organic peanut butter, bags of dried fruit, fresh fruit and veggies, etc. We tend to not give items that contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. Honey and stevia are all good and are much healthier. This makes it a “healthy” offering. The music played or sung should be of a quieter nature, uplifting, and should bring joy to the hearers. We use Scripture songs. You can click on “Chosen Treasures-The Trio” at kitchen2.com for some music ideas and website links. This idea also works well as a good deed for shut-ins.

3. Bake a loaf of bread or other baked goods to take to a family or single person. If you know these people are in need of bread, muffins, etc, make it a blessing to bring more to them on a weekly basis. This is a fun thing for children to do. Mother does not always have to be the one doing all of the baking.

4. Sometimes it is hard to find those which are truly poor. I’m not speaking of those who are poor because they throw their money away on “non-essentials.” In our search, we have found that we can ask neighbors and folks in our city if they know of someone in need. We have also gone to the local, small-town hospitals and asked if there was a person in need who was struggling to have their hospital bills paid. You might consider paying part of their bill or even paying a home, electric bill that they couldn’t pay while sick.

5. Many times you can find thrift shops which gather items for resale for the poor and needy. These people generally know those who are in need. You can donate directly to that person or give some items to the shop owner(s) to help them make money to assist the disadvantaged. This is a good thing to encourage us all to clean out basements, closets, sewing rooms, work areas, school books, DVDs and videos, toy boxes, etc.

Being Hebrew Messianic, many of our Holy Days and Feasts revolve around helping the poor and needy. In Israel , the poor generally sit outside of the markets on Friday afternoon for their Sabbath offering from passers-by. This also happens before special Holy Days and Feast. The Israeli shoppers check the bags of those in need, see which items are missing, go into the store and purchase the necessary goods. These are then placed into the bags with little communication. Sometimes, however, the needy are asked if there is a particular item, something special that they need for the certain event. This item is then purchased and given to them. People do not do this here, but that should never stop us from seeking out those in need and serving them.

Remember, someday one of us might be in need. Will anyone be there to do good deeds and be a servant of the LORD?

Kathie Palladino

Murphy, NC