Throughout scripture, several groups are repeatedly mentioned that God wants us to care for . They are orphans (or fatherless), widows, and aliens (or strangers). Clearly these three people groups especially matter to God. Deuteronomy 24:19 illustrates God's care and provision for them, and His desire to see His followers acting as His hands and feet in meeting their basic needs: “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”In Proverbs 23:10-11, God’s concern for the fatherless is evident in these words of warning: “Do not move an ancient boundary stone, or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; He will take up their case against you.” God doesn't stop at caring for and defending those close to His heart; rather He places care for the least among us at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Christ. In fact, in James 1:27, God defines pure religion in the context of orphan care: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Not only has God commanded that His people care for those in need, but He has also ordained and modeled the institution of adoption. Anyone who has placed his or her trust in Christ has been adopted into God's family, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Ephesians 1:4b -5 tells us: … “In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…” Caring for the fatherless does not simply consist of compassionate and kind acts, nor is adoption an additional means of growing our families to meet our own desires. Rather, caring for the fatherless is at the very heart of God. Caring for the fatherless is about obedience … it is about knowing the God whom we serve.
According to UNICEF, there are over 130 million orphans in the world today. If you were to look more closely at that number, you would find that there are:
•46.6 million orphans in Africa
•72.3 million orphans in Asia
•1.5 million orphans in Eastern Europe
•10.7 million orphans in Latin America and the Caribbean
•500,000 children in the United States Foster Care System
•122,761 of these foster children available for adoption
Clearly there are a number of fatherless children in our world today. More and more Christians are recognizing and understanding God’s heart for the orphan and responding to His clear call by establishing orphans ministries as a part of their local churches. Though some of these churches are now caring for dozens or even hundreds of orphans, most of them began with the vision of one or two people and a desire to see lives transformed by the Gospel one child at a time. Will you consider what God may have you do to minister to these children?
“Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.” —Psalm 82:3
Not only has God commanded that His people care for those in need, but He has also ordained and modeled the institution of adoption. Anyone who has placed his or her trust in Christ has been adopted into God's family, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Ephesians 1:4b -5 tells us: … “In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…” Caring for the fatherless does not simply consist of compassionate and kind acts, nor is adoption an additional means of growing our families to meet our own desires. Rather, caring for the fatherless is at the very heart of God. Caring for the fatherless is about obedience … it is about knowing the God whom we serve.
According to UNICEF, there are over 130 million orphans in the world today. If you were to look more closely at that number, you would find that there are:
•46.6 million orphans in Africa
•72.3 million orphans in Asia
•1.5 million orphans in Eastern Europe
•10.7 million orphans in Latin America and the Caribbean
•500,000 children in the United States Foster Care System
•122,761 of these foster children available for adoption
Clearly there are a number of fatherless children in our world today. More and more Christians are recognizing and understanding God’s heart for the orphan and responding to His clear call by establishing orphans ministries as a part of their local churches. Though some of these churches are now caring for dozens or even hundreds of orphans, most of them began with the vision of one or two people and a desire to see lives transformed by the Gospel one child at a time. Will you consider what God may have you do to minister to these children?
“Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.” —Psalm 82:3
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