Helping the Poor and the Needy

Everyday when I arrive to work I log into Yahoo! and check out the current news briefly. This morning I came across an article that moved me to action. US: 29,000 Somali children under 5 dead in famine. There are people in Africa, other countries and even the US that are dying because they have no food. I think about the fruit that I buy that I forget about it rots and I throw it in the garbage. Or when I am full and I discard the remaining contents of my plate. To think I have an abundance of food and there are innocent children dying because they don't have food or water.

As I write this tears come to my eyes as I was making a donation tears came to my eyes. I have known as many of you that there are need of others greater than myself. I can say that I donate to local shelters in my area and I volunteer to help children in Chicago and beyond. Nevertheless there is more work that needs to be done and that I could be doing.

See I realize I am blessed as my daily needs are met and exceeded. Unfortunately many of us think in terms of self and feel that we don't have enough and therefore are unable to give. I don't care if you are eating Top Ramen every night you have a meal to eat. It may not be fillet Mignon nevertheless you are not starving. You may have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but thank God for the bread, peanut butter, and jelly as there are people in the world with absolutely NOTHING to eat.

Its time for us to be more grateful, complain less about our personal circumstances and do more.

Here is a link to World Vision (http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?a=b), I gave to them to help if you know of any other reputable organizations please share them with me.

It is up to us to take care of the poor. God works through His people if you are a spiritual person, Christian, a child of God etc. you are his eyes, mouth, hands, feet etc. God needs you through His Power to feed the hungry, take care of the elderly, tend to the sick and those in need that is our responsibility.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

Deuteronomy 15:11 "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4

"'He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD." Jeremiah 22:16

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13

"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22:9

"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses." Proverbs 28:27

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29:7

"If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

Be a blessing and be blessed,
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