Ecc 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
This passage encourages us to help the needed. The illustration comes from the custom at the time of sowing seed by casting it from boats into the overflowing waters of the Nile, or in any marshy ground. When the waters receded, the grain in the soil sprang up. Giving to the needy is likened to sowing of the precious seed. It cost something, it was a risk, yet it promised a harvest. So our compassion and generosity. The God of the harvest promises a return for helping those in need.