God Sets the Lonely in Families
Sing to God, sing in praise of His name, extol Him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before Him -- His name is the LORD.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His Holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:4-6).
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His Holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:4-6).
My heart is gripped by the very poignant things the Psalmist reveals in this portion of Scripture.
The Psalmist is encouraging us to praise the LORD for some of His wonderful acts. As many times as I have read this Psalm, my heart is touched in a different way as I ponder the words of the Psalmist.
First, God is a father to the fatherless. I have had the privilege of being a part of many homes headed by single mothers. I have had the privilege of being a resource and an encourager to those wonderful mothers and their children. I have had the pleasure, along with others, to be a father to those "fatherless" children. I have seen those children turn out to be very godly and "productive" individuals. I have seen them grow into high achievers in their academic pursuits. I have also seen their mothers prosper and excel.
Being a father to the "fatherless" is a godly undertaking that can produce valuable fruit in the lives of the "fatherless." God has called us to do good works which He ordained for in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10). Being a father to the fatherless is "good" work. I am confident that it brings pleasure to the heart of God and untold blessings from Him as well. I believe we earn a special place in God's heart when we follow His footsteps in being fathers to the fatherless.
There are many children in challenging life situations who need to be placed in foster homes and others who need to be adopted. That is one way of being a father to the fatherless. Those children have potential which could very well be lost if they are not "fathered." Being a father to the fatherless can also be in the form of simply getting involved and lovingly being a support system and a resource to a fatherless child. It could involve just spending a little time to listen, encourage and spur on the fatherless. Would you allow God to speak to your heart concerning this?
Second: God sets the lonely in families. This is a heart-wrenching reminder that there are many lonely who do not have "families" but God cares about them. He cares and loves them so much that He ensures that those lonely people have families for their well-being. There are many children and young people whose lives go astray because they do not have the privilege of being set in loving families.
Being a father to the fatherless and opening up your life and home to the lonely is costly in both time and resources. It takes a conscious and sacrificial effort to give up resources in order to accommodate new lives into your home, schedule, and life! But it is a very godly, fulfilling and rewarding thing to do! Would you allow yourself to be used in this life-altering manner? God will be very pleased because you would be joining Him in His role as a father to the fatherless.
The Psalmist is encouraging us to praise the LORD for some of His wonderful acts. As many times as I have read this Psalm, my heart is touched in a different way as I ponder the words of the Psalmist.
First, God is a father to the fatherless. I have had the privilege of being a part of many homes headed by single mothers. I have had the privilege of being a resource and an encourager to those wonderful mothers and their children. I have had the pleasure, along with others, to be a father to those "fatherless" children. I have seen those children turn out to be very godly and "productive" individuals. I have seen them grow into high achievers in their academic pursuits. I have also seen their mothers prosper and excel.
Being a father to the "fatherless" is a godly undertaking that can produce valuable fruit in the lives of the "fatherless." God has called us to do good works which He ordained for in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10). Being a father to the fatherless is "good" work. I am confident that it brings pleasure to the heart of God and untold blessings from Him as well. I believe we earn a special place in God's heart when we follow His footsteps in being fathers to the fatherless.
There are many children in challenging life situations who need to be placed in foster homes and others who need to be adopted. That is one way of being a father to the fatherless. Those children have potential which could very well be lost if they are not "fathered." Being a father to the fatherless can also be in the form of simply getting involved and lovingly being a support system and a resource to a fatherless child. It could involve just spending a little time to listen, encourage and spur on the fatherless. Would you allow God to speak to your heart concerning this?
Second: God sets the lonely in families. This is a heart-wrenching reminder that there are many lonely who do not have "families" but God cares about them. He cares and loves them so much that He ensures that those lonely people have families for their well-being. There are many children and young people whose lives go astray because they do not have the privilege of being set in loving families.
Being a father to the fatherless and opening up your life and home to the lonely is costly in both time and resources. It takes a conscious and sacrificial effort to give up resources in order to accommodate new lives into your home, schedule, and life! But it is a very godly, fulfilling and rewarding thing to do! Would you allow yourself to be used in this life-altering manner? God will be very pleased because you would be joining Him in His role as a father to the fatherless.
Prayer: Father, I thank you for adopting me as your child. I am privileged to call you Abba, father. Please help me to think of ways in which I can also be a father to the fatherless and opening up my home to the lonely. Amen