"They" are "us"

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31 years ago: Began life as a kid.
18 years ago: Worked with mom (who was a Children's Minister) in the nursery.
8 years ago: Began 3-year 6th-grade teaching career.
13 months ago: Returned home from India working with orphans.
5 months ago: Attended an Orphan Sunday presentation at church.
5 months ago: Dr. DeRouchie announced to the class that his family is pursuing adoption.
5 months ago: Was rocked by the meaning of James 1:27 in devotions.
2 days ago: Heard Orphan Girl song at Horsefeathers concert and loved it.
1 week from now: Registered to attend The Christian Alliance Orphan Summit VI
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All this to say that God seems to be increasing my love for kids (especially orphans) and desire to work with them in the future!

James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." So what is it about orphans (and widows) that is so important to God that He would make such a sweeping statement as this? Are they socially superior people? Is ministry to them morally superior? What makes them so special to the heart of God? How would you answer that question right now? God wants us to care for orphans (and widows) so that He may be glorified. But how?

By general definition, orphans are "those that have lost both parents; the fatherless." God Himself is described in Psalm 68:5: "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation." This group of people (orphans) are so important to God because they are reflections of who the church is. We are orphans who have been adopted into the family of God by our benevolent Father. Rom 8:15 clarifies: "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba Father!'" (See also Gal 4:4-7) God cares about physical orphans (and wants us to as well) because He cares about the spiritual reality of which they are a constant reminder. Any true virtue finds its purest expression in the very character of God. So we are to act in this way toward orphans because God has acted this way toward us (orphans).

Please pray for me as I continue to seek the Lord's direction as to how to best care for orphans. Pray that God would provide needed vision, passion and clarity through the upcoming Orphan Summit on April 29th and 30th. Delighting with you in the God who cared for this orphan boy.