A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. Psalm 68: 5, NKJV.
Gracious Father, What a just and kind God You are! We want to learn more about You, so that we can be more like You. Please draw near to us, and teach us Your way! We pray this in the name of Jesus! Amen.
Today we are continuing with the thought of what the church can do for the less fortunate of society. Particularly those who tend to be lonely because of their situation. Those who are often overlooked in our all-too-busy society. A society made up of people trapped in our own individualistic opinions of the way things ought to be! I had read, on many occasions in the Bible about the widows and orphans; and of the special care God has for them. The more I read, the more my heart went out to them! But it was not until I started taking a very enlightening, and interesting, class, at the university-Global Poverty, that my eyes were really opened to the situation of some Twenty-first Century widows and orphans! And it is a most depressing picture!
It would do us well to note that God sits in His holy habitation as a father of those who have no parents; and as a defender of those who have no husbands; in other words, the most vulnerable members of society! I believe that it is significant that the place where He is seated is mentioned – “in His holy habitation.” “God is watching us!” From high above, nothing is hid from God’s supernatural sight! This can be a comforting, or a fearful, thought. Remember, God sees not only what is on the outside, but what is on the inside as well; He sees our hearts!
God sees those who are able to make a difference, but are not willing to do so. Rich and powerful nations, with widows and orphans within their own midst, in need of adequate health care, and proper nutrition, who should be receiving help. Their coffers are full enough that they could also offer some much needed aid to countries that are disease-ridden, and poverty-stricken! We must not lose sight of the fact that, “God is watching us!”
During the time of the early church when foreigners were accepting the teachings of the apostles; and the face of the church was changing; the Greeks noticed that their widows were not receiving the attention that they deserved. They felt that their widows were not treated as well as the Jewish widows. So a “business meeting” was called to discuss the matter. The subject was of such vital importance, that the worthy set of church officers, known to us today as deacons, was formed! This was a special group within the church, dedicated to taking care of the widows! They were not to be selected haphazardly. The Bible describes them as “men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6: 3, NRSV)! The widows were that important to God back then; they are just as important to Him today!
Children have always been of supreme importance to God; and He speaks of the fatherless in most tender terms. He “upholds” the orphans and widows (Psalm 146: 9). He “executes justice” for them (Deuteronomy 10: 18). He exhorts us to give them justice (Psalm 82: 3). For religion that is “pure” and “undefiled” James offers the following definition: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1: 27).
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What was just for Him yesterday, is still just today. How does He see our religion?