James 1:27 suggests that pure religion, untainted by the world, will focus on the plight of orphans and widows.
Don't have to travel much to have your heart touched by them.
My son and daughter-in-law are camping out with us for a few days while they wait for their house to open up. Great couple. Love having them. The package also includes the little 1 year old grandson. This complicates things a bit.
My wife has been pestering me for years to get a hearing aid. Finally I did it as a present to her. Bad timing. Every time I put it in here at home that child is screaming. No way I would have survived raising three kids of my own if I had heard well! Had no idea the decibel level emanating from those little vocal cavities.
All which brings me to this point. Kids require massive amounts of attention. My wife and I are dumbfounded at the energy, patience, and hours our children put into their little one. And they seem to be ok. In fact so ok--they are having ANOTHER one.
Kids require attention. Lots of it. And tomorrow they need more. And the next day. And the next day. Love is spelled time. Time is life. Kids need to have others pour their lives into them to survive and thrive.
But--what about the kids in our world without those parents. They are called orphans. There are lots of them. One source suggests a new one every 14 seconds.
I spent a little time yesterday tracing through the references in the Old Testament to orphans. Found at least 35. One thing is very clear. God loves orphans. He promised to be their father, to avenge/defend their mistreatment and provide for them.
They are every where we travel today. In many countries we stop at the signal and they are tapping on the window selling--whatever. One lady told me as we sat with a group in a restaurant watching those children her own story.
Her father was long gone (the bible often refers to the fatherless). Her mother was a prostitute. She and her sisters were required to go out and sell garlic or flowers. If they returned before midnight without selling enough they were spanked and sent back out. Leaves a scar for life.
In India when the psunami hit the government was left to care for many orhpans. Probably meaning well they offered $1150 to anyone who would come and take these children from the camps. You can imagine what happened to many of them. Exploitation and abuse is the common lot of little ones with no one to love, care for, and give them attention.
Question. How does God parent, defend and provide for the orphans? The answer is simple. Through His people. In the Old Testament He specifically scripted how this would take place. Each year the tithe was set aside for them. Grain was carefully "forgotten" during the harvest and left for them laying in the field.
How does God care for them today? The answer is simple also. Through His people. You and me. I know we cannot solve all the problems. But we can solve some. We cannot do everything but we can each do something. God wants us to give them some attention. This is the evidence of true religion.
Was at the beautiful campus of Mount Vernon College--outside of Columbus this week. On the bulletin board in the commons building was a flyer. It showed the picture of a little girl. The words said it all. "I can be bought for $300. I can be saved for $3.00 per day."
She needs our attention. Who can we help?
Don't have to travel much to have your heart touched by them.
My son and daughter-in-law are camping out with us for a few days while they wait for their house to open up. Great couple. Love having them. The package also includes the little 1 year old grandson. This complicates things a bit.
My wife has been pestering me for years to get a hearing aid. Finally I did it as a present to her. Bad timing. Every time I put it in here at home that child is screaming. No way I would have survived raising three kids of my own if I had heard well! Had no idea the decibel level emanating from those little vocal cavities.
All which brings me to this point. Kids require massive amounts of attention. My wife and I are dumbfounded at the energy, patience, and hours our children put into their little one. And they seem to be ok. In fact so ok--they are having ANOTHER one.
Kids require attention. Lots of it. And tomorrow they need more. And the next day. And the next day. Love is spelled time. Time is life. Kids need to have others pour their lives into them to survive and thrive.
But--what about the kids in our world without those parents. They are called orphans. There are lots of them. One source suggests a new one every 14 seconds.
I spent a little time yesterday tracing through the references in the Old Testament to orphans. Found at least 35. One thing is very clear. God loves orphans. He promised to be their father, to avenge/defend their mistreatment and provide for them.
They are every where we travel today. In many countries we stop at the signal and they are tapping on the window selling--whatever. One lady told me as we sat with a group in a restaurant watching those children her own story.
Her father was long gone (the bible often refers to the fatherless). Her mother was a prostitute. She and her sisters were required to go out and sell garlic or flowers. If they returned before midnight without selling enough they were spanked and sent back out. Leaves a scar for life.
In India when the psunami hit the government was left to care for many orhpans. Probably meaning well they offered $1150 to anyone who would come and take these children from the camps. You can imagine what happened to many of them. Exploitation and abuse is the common lot of little ones with no one to love, care for, and give them attention.
Question. How does God parent, defend and provide for the orphans? The answer is simple. Through His people. In the Old Testament He specifically scripted how this would take place. Each year the tithe was set aside for them. Grain was carefully "forgotten" during the harvest and left for them laying in the field.
How does God care for them today? The answer is simple also. Through His people. You and me. I know we cannot solve all the problems. But we can solve some. We cannot do everything but we can each do something. God wants us to give them some attention. This is the evidence of true religion.
Was at the beautiful campus of Mount Vernon College--outside of Columbus this week. On the bulletin board in the commons building was a flyer. It showed the picture of a little girl. The words said it all. "I can be bought for $300. I can be saved for $3.00 per day."
She needs our attention. Who can we help?
