Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
       when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbour,
       “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”—
       when you now have it with you. — Proverbs 3:27–28

Aliyah is Hebrew for “ascent” or “to go up.” In biblical times, it was used to describe the pilgrimage all Jews made three times a year to Jerusalem for holy festivals. Today, it refers to immigration to Israel. This is one of 12 devotions exploring aliyah and the fulfillment today of biblical prophecy that God would bring back His children to their ancient homeland, Israel. For more teachings on prophecy, download our complimentary study here.

Ronald Dimaline, from Ransom, Kentucky, has always had a heart for Israel and a desire to bless the descendants of Abraham in a very real way. Initially, he sent a gift to The Fellowship to help one Jew immigrate home to Israel via our On Wings of Eagles ministry.

The Fellowship became involved in aliyah more than 25 years ago after the collapse of the former Soviet Union, partnering with other organizations to bring hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews to Israel. Since launching its own independent aliyah program in late 2014, The Fellowship has brought nearly 15,000 Jews to Israel from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, Arab lands, India, South American, and elsewhere.

But that wasn’t enough. Mr. Dimaline began sending money to bring one person back quarterly from the proceeds of his business. Still, he had, as he puts it, “this burning in me” to do something more. That’s when he met Sister Emma, an older woman who had a unique way of raising money for Wings. She took an old box her grandfather made for her, put it in her church, and challenged the people to give $1 a week to help bring Jews home to Israel.

The idea hit home for Mr. Dimaline. He began making small boxes, calling them “Abraham boxes,” and offered to place them in churches around the country, asking people to donate $1 a week to help bring needy Jews home. From this, Mt. Zion Ministries was born.

What a beautiful illustration of seeing a need and doing something about it. Not only did Mr. Dimaline act out of his own heart, but he also saw a way to get others involved in giving. One congregation, Mr. Dimaline said, has only ten to twelve people, yet since taking one of the Abraham boxes, they have given enough money to bring 46 Jewish people back to Israel!

This is what the proverb writer was talking about when he penned, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” We are all called, Christians and Jews alike, to respond in whatever way we can when we see a need. Maybe that means volunteering at the local food pantry, or opening your wallet to help a homeless person on the street. It may mean helping out your elderly neighbour with grocery shopping or other chores. Or it may mean, as it did for Mr. Dimaline, beginning a ministry to help others.

Who has God put on your heart to help? What are the needs of people around you? What is in your power to act and not withhold good? Consider what you might do today in response.

Download our complimentary devotional, Prophecy: God’s Word to Us & God’s Word on the End of Days, from Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’s teachings on this topic of great significance for Christians and Jews.