Our Brother's Keeper

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.  

Then Adonai said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

 Then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.

(Genesis 4:8-10)

As part of God's family, we have a duty to, in fact, be our brother's keeper. That is, to look out for one another and help each other. Providing blankets, coats, and meals for the homeless; visiting nursing homes; helping veterans; helping the poor, the fatherless, or just comforting someone in need is part of being our brother's keeper. 

Often, we see helping the poor as simply donating money to charity, and while there are some excellent charities that see to those in need, there is nothing like being hands-on when it comes to helping others. Even small things like shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor, driving someone to an appointment, or taking time to chat with someone who is lonely, can go a long way in helping them and showing brotherly love.

Our lives are very busy, and between jobs, family, kids, and dogs, and other obligations, we can forget that simple acts of kindness don't have to take up a lot of our time. We can show brotherly love in every day life without a lot of effort, if only we remember to practice patience.

"But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless (Psalm 14:10)."

Read
Genesis 4-6
1 Chronicles 1:1-4

A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha

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