Exodus 22-24: God has such a deep love for the widow, the orphan, the foreigner and the poor. When He gave the laws to His people many of them dealt with leaving a small portion of their harvest as salvage for those who had no land or crop.

The book of Ruth is a beautiful picture of how Boaz shared the salvage of his crop with the widows Ruth and Naomi. Ruth was allowed to pick up the left over and the fringe grain to feed she and Naomi. Ruth was both a wide and an outsider, but God’s love was so great for her that she became a part of His family. I love how she tells Naomi, “Your people shall become my people and your God my God.”

Moses instructed the people to share with those less fortunate. By caring for those who are less fortunate God would bless them as a nation.

The New Testament tells us that pure and undefiled religion is to take care of widows and orphans in their distress. In our passage today I was reminded it wasn’t the big things that they were to do. They were just to be conscious of them and leave a small portion for them to pick up. They were to see those in need and help meet their needs.

If God blessed that in the days of the Bible, don’t you know He blesses us today as we do the same. You don’t have to give them handouts, but why not include them when you have guests in your home. Watch to see the children around you that just need a word of encouragement. I think about children whose parents are deployed. They are not orphaned, but they sure miss their parent. I think about some young widows in my community who sometimes just need a call, a text, or a word of encouragement. An invitation to hang out would probably be appreciated as well. Most of the time it is not the big things, but the small that mean so much. Just see them and keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well.