Where are the Widows and Orphans?
It is inevitable that if you go on a missions trip or any kind of outreach outside of the United States you have read, re-read and inculcated this verse into the theology for your trip. It is easy to use it when we are going "there" as in places like India, Mexico and others where the need is right on the surface; but what about at home? Who are the widows and the orphans in our midst?
Spiritually speaking a widow is a woman without a spiritual covering of a man. A husband who died in battle, or at a young age from disease is who we think of often when we think in Biblical terms. But what about a single mom? What about that divorced woman who is trying like crazy to keep her fractured life together and provide for her children. She is a widow, and she is worthy of every ounce of our effort as a church and as Christians. Her children are left without the spiritual covering and blessing of a father. They are orphans. Even if dad is still in the picture but he is not in the home, not providing that steady encouragement council and direction then he is not spiritually fulfilling his role in life.
One of the reasons that God does not ordain sexual intercourse outside of marriage is because the outcome could be another orphan born into this world. God intends every child to have a guiding presence in their life. A father, a mother and family to show them what a good life, a Godly life, looks like.
As Christians we need to ask ourselves the toughest of questions every day; "who is the widow in our midst? where are the orphans? Who is the least of these in my midst? Our greatest challenge is to not run from them, but embrace them. When we do that we embrace the very hands and feet of God.
~Selah~
Created almost 2 years ago
