Deuteronomy 15

What does it mean to “open thine hand wide” to people in need? What do you learn from the Lord’s example about helping people in need? 

"1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s release.

3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;

4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

7 ¶ If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

12 ¶ And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day." (Deuteronomy 15)

And here's the commentary entitled: "Helping people in need involves generous hands and willing hearts." :

"We haven’t yet arrived at the day “when there shall be no poor among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4), so the principles about helping the poor in Deuteronomy 15 are still valuable, even if the particular practices have changed. Notice what verses 1–15 teach about why we help people in need and what our attitude should be about it.

What does it mean to “open thine hand wide” to people in need? (verses 8, 11). What do you learn from the Lord’s example about helping people in need? (see verse 15).

See also “Have I Done Any Good?,” Hymns, no. 223."

 To “open thine hand wide” to people in need means to give generously to the poor and the needy. From the Lord's example of helping people in need, I learned He has never forgotten each of them. He is there for them. He sees exactly what God's children need. Just as He sacrificed for each of us to give us exactly what we need,  He also commanded us to do the same for others who are needy.