GOD CARES ABOUT ORPHANS
Because God cares about orphans, it makes sense that we should too. The Bible tells us to love one another as He loves us, (John 13:34-35) and that includes everyone.
God has a special fondness for orphans and widows simply because they are the most vulnerable among us. A society is only as strong as its weakest and most vulnerable, so making the case that orphans deserve our attention and care is easy to do.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5)
GOD USES US TO CARE FOR THE ORPHAN :
We are His hands and His feet–we represent Jesus in the world (2 Corinthians 5:20). He sends us into the world as an extension of His care and love for the orphan. There is little doubt that all of us can, and should, do something to help those who are fatherless and in need of parental love and support.
“The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Psalm 146:9)
WE CAN’T CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS AND NOT CARE ABOUT ORPHANS :
It’s simply not possible. James is clear about this in chapter 1. There is something that every one of us can do to support orphans in the world. Keep reading and you’ll find a way!
“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.” (James 1:27 NIV)
GOD ALWAYS INTENDED FOR HIS PEOPLE TO PROVIDE FOR THE ORPHAN :
Even in the Old Testament, God gave clear instructions that the orphans and widows were to be taken care of by His people.
“At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
THERE ARE WARNINGS AND BLESSINGS IN THE BIBLE ABOUT CARING FOR THE ORPHANS :
God takes the business of looking after orphans so seriously that He includes several scriptures of warning about dealing with the orphan and the widow. He makes it clear that no society should tolerate abuse or unfair treatment of an orphan. He also includes this as a condition for His blessings. If you want to know how to get God’s attention, take care of the orphans!
“Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.” (Exodus 22:22)
“Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless.” (Proverbs 23:10)
“…if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place…then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors forever and ever.” (Jeremiah 7:6-7)
God Speaks of Orphans in the His Word in a Most Serious Manner.
Anyone who works with orphaned or abandoned children can quote James 1:27 by heart: “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.” It’s the go-to verse whenever one is teaching or sharing about orphan care. But references to orphans, and God’s heart for the orphan, are throughout the Bible. If we want to care about the things that are important to God, orphans and orphan care need to be included.
Below are a few biblical themes that come up often regarding orphans :
God has deep compassion for orphans: Hosea 14:3 “For in You the fatherless find compassion.” Psalm 68:5 “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows, is God in his holy habitation.” There are verses throughout the Bible that teach us that God has great compassion for the fatherless. He has profound and endless love for His children. He hurts for those who are hurting and seeks to comfort them. Biblically, it is clear that caring for orphans is close to the heart of God. His heart is with the outcast, those that society looks down on. Our God is one of profound compassion.
God seeks justice for orphans :
Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” We live in a broken world. There are great injustices in this world and there will be until we die. Different forms of abuse, corruption, and abandoned children are just a few of the many unjust issues that are so common. We are surrounded by so much pain that it’s easy to become blind to it. God is not. As painful as it might be, we cannot live in denial to the vile things that go on all around us. If we are walking with our Lord, we need to be defending those in need, the fatherless, those who can not defend themselves. Justice is a fundamental part of God’s character. He seeks to correct injustices and we are called to do the same. Psalm 82:3-4 “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
God’s people Share Their Resources with Orphans :
Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.” Deuteronomy 14:29 “And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.” We are called to give to others. The riches we have are God’s, and we have a responsibility to use them for His glory and His work.
God has adopted us into His Family, He wants us to do the same for others :
John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” We have the incredible privilege to call God our Father. Through nothing we have done, other than accept this gift, we have been adopted into His family, and the family of believers. We have been given a Heavenly Father and countless brothers and sisters in this world. By being adopted into this grand family, we are part of something richer and more profound than anything we can imagine. For an orphan or abandoned child, they know they are alone in this world, and they hurt to belong to a family. We might not think we could ever actually adopt a child, but it is something to consider. There is no greater gift we can give to another person than adopting them into our family. God has done this for us. If we can, we need to pay it forward. If we can’t adopt, we can help those who have or are adopting.
Orphan care is near to the heart of God :
As we grow in our relationship with Him, we begin to take on His image. As we grow in our faith, our compassion for those hurting around us needs to grow. Our compassion for the abandoned, and caring for the orphaned and abandoned around us is a natural progression of our faith. Find your way to care for orphans. It’s important to God, it needs to be important to us.
God Is the Father of the Fatherless :
God has a special place in His heart for the orphan. In fact, the Bible says He is a father to them. All people understand what a good father should be, even if their own father wasn’t ideal. God presents Himself as a Father—someone who loves, cherishes, protects and values His children.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. — Psalm 68:5
You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. — Psalm 10:17–18
The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. — Psalm 146:9
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. — Psalm 10:14
Sadly, children without a supportive and loving father have difficulty understanding the boundless love and care their Heavenly Father holds for His children.
God takes special notice of the fatherless. He doesn’t overlook their cries. He hears orphans and defends them. Reach out to communities of the fatherless and show them the way to relationship with their true Father.
God Commands Us to Defend the Orphan :
In Biblical times and throughout history, government officials and ruling classes oppressed the poor with unjust laws and abusive policies. These oppressors withheld justice from widows and orphans. And it still happens today.
But we are explicitly told not to take advantage of the widow and the fatherless. In fact, we are told that we will give account for lording our power over others.
Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? — Isaiah 10:1–3
Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. — Exodus 22:22–23
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. — Deuteronomy 10:18
Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. — Exodus 22:22
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless. — Proverbs 23:10
In the Bible, God places special concern on those who are vulnerable or marginalized. He knows these segments of society are often at risk of exploitation. He calls us to look on the heart of others and to defend the oppressed, the weak, and the fatherless.
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. — Isaiah 1:17
Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. — Psalm 82:3
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. — James 1:27
When we invite Christ into our lives, we are called to become more like Him. Therefore, the burden Jesus holds for His children becomes our burden, too.
God Calls Us to Act on Behalf of the Fatherless :
A Christian’s relationship with God should result in tangible care and compassion for others. The verses above describe an active faith—a faith that looks after orphans and widows.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. — James 2:14–18
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD. — Psalm 146:5–10