A Father to the Fatherless

I feel sad that the word "father" can trigger bad memories in some people's minds. The worst of it is that folks associate God with their earthly father. If only they could understand that the heavenly Father loves them far more than any earthly dad ever could.

According to Psalms 68:5 and 6 (BBE), God is, "A father to those who have no father, a judge of the widows, is God in his holy place. Those who are without friends, God puts in families; he makes free those who are in chains; but those who are turned away from him are given a dry land."

Likewise, the Lord cares for those who are downtrodden and unfortunate. Psalms 146:9 (BBE) tells us that, "The Lord takes care of those who are in a strange land; he gives help to the widow and to the child who has no father; but he sends destruction on the way of sinners."

But the Lord's fatherly love causes him to punish those who are wilfully and persistently disobedient. Isaiah 9:17 (BBE) explains, "For this cause the Lord will have no pleasure in their young men, and no pity on their widows and the children without fathers: for they are all haters of God and evil-doers, and foolish words come from every mouth. For all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

Even so, our Father in heaven opposes those who oppress helpless people. As Jeremiah 7:5-7 (BBE) declares, "For if your ways and your doings are truly changed for the better; if you truly give right decisions between a man and his neighbour If you are not cruel to the man from a strange country, and to the child without a father, and to the widow, and do not put the upright to death in this place, or go after other gods, causing damage to yourselves: Then I will let you go on living in this place, in the land which I gave to your fathers in the past and for ever."

It's obvious too that God wants us to be conveyers of his blessings to the less fortunate. James 1:27 (BBE) is quite plain about our duty to them. "The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world."

If Christ doesn't return by Thursday, I hope to post about my fiftieth anniversary of leaving Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. What a soul-crushing institution that was.