God is the Father to the fatherless! One respected Swiss-based research organization estimates that, based on a survey of 88 countries, there will be 100 million orphans under the age of 15 around the world by 2010. That is huge! Half of them will be AIDS orphans. No wonder God is alerting His people to the need to care for orphans. James reminds us that what God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this – to look after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1.27).  

But God is also looking for more – for children who are orphans to get to know Him as their Father – to learn to hear  His voice, pray, live by faith, reach out to others, plant churches and become nation changers – even by the age of 14! If children can be Olympic stars by this age then surely they can be stars for God too! We hear much about the abuse of orphans the world over. But where are the stories of those whom God has raised up? Moses was an orphan. Joseph as a child was rejected and sold as a slave by his brothers, and became separated from his family.  

Samuel was handed over by his mother to be raised by a priest. David was ignored by his brothers and father from an early age. Yet all of these became stalwarts of faith, trust and obedience to God, and leaders of their nation. He was their Father! God’s word also exhorts us about support for orphans. The tithe was meant for “the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow” (Deut. 26.12). Does that mean that a quarter of our tithe should be for orphans? When crops were harvested, some were to be left for the gleaners - “for the fatherless and widows”.

Source: Brian Mills as supplied by Interprayer

The world today is full of fatherless children. These children have been left without parents because of disease or violence. Each one has their own individually tragic story. We see their faces and look into their eyes and think, ‘what could I possibly do?’ In fact we sometimes even think it might be better not to look at them at all, because of how it makes us feel. So we turn our backs and ignore their plight, rather than turning our emotion into action.

God has a plan for the orphans of this world. He is moved to action by their hurting hearts. He sees how they suffer in the evils of this world. He has a plan for their lives, and we have a part to play.

God’s Part

·       Father of the fatherless

o       Psalm 68:5

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. Psalm 68:5 (NLT)

·       To protect orphans and defend them against evil

o       Psalm 146:9

The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. Psalm 146:9 (NLT)

o       Psalm 10:14-18

¹⁴But you do see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You are the defender of orphans. ¹⁵Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed! ¹⁶The LORD is king forever and ever! Let those who worship other gods be swept from the land. ¹⁷LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. ¹⁸ You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them.

Psalm 10:14-18 (NLT)

Our Part

·       Care for the orphans

o       James 1:27

²⁷Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

James 1:27 (NLT)

·       Don’t exploit the orphans

o       Exodus 22:22-24

²²“Do not exploit widows or orphans. ²³If you do and they cry out to me, then I will surely help them. ²⁴My anger will blaze forth against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Your wives will become widows, and your children will become fatherless. Exodus 22:22-24 (NLT)

·       Give to the orphans

o       Deuteronomy 14:28-29

²⁸“At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in the nearest town. ²⁹Give it to the Levites, who have no inheritance among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all your work.

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 (NLT)

·       Defend the cause of the orphans

o       Psalm 82:3-4

“Give fair judgment to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. ⁴Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. Psalm 82:3-4 (NLT)

o       Isaiah 1:17

¹⁷Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17 (NLT)

Consequences

·       Cursing and public disgrace

o       Deuteronomy 27:19

¹⁹‘Cursed is anyone who is unjust to foreigners, orphans, and widows.’And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’ Deuteronomy 27:19 (NLT)

·       Blessing and praise

o       Job 29:11-13

¹¹“All who heard of me praised me. All who saw me spoke well of me. ¹²For I helped the poor in their need and the orphans who had no one to help them. ¹³I helped those who had lost hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy. Job 29:11-13 (NLT)

My challenge to everyone who reads this, is to open your eyes. Look for the people in this world who are alone and crying, don’t turn your eyes away. Look at the devastation that surrounds you in this world, don’t shield yourself from the things that bring conviction to your heart. Look into the eyes of a child whose whole world has fallen apart, and do something about it.

Help those who have no one to help them. Go looking for the orphans and defend their cause, don’t hide yourselves away from their need. Look into the eyes of a child, and see how they will bless you.