God is a Father to the Fatherless

Deuteronomy 17- 19

"17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. 19And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt."

At the age 12, my parents divorced. For about five years I had very little interaction with my dad. At various points in my life, I felt fatherless. I distinctly remember reading in the Bible where God clearly stated he was my father. It was an overwhelming feeling to know that the maker of this universe, and all the other ones as well, was my personal father. At this point, my relationship became very personal with Jesus. I love how in Romans Paul calls God Abba. This word Abba is the personal form, like daddy. I am moved to know that I can call God daddy. Knowing this has given me strength and self-confidence to dream big for the kingdom of God.

Reflection

1. Throughout the Bible God talks about the fatherless over 40 times, why do you think this is?
2. Where else in the Bible does God provide for the fatherless?
3. Where do you see yourself being a father (or mother) to the fatherless?

Take the Next Step

Throughout my life the Lord has empowered me to be a blessing in the live of people who do not have the direction or love of an earthly father. Often times these people are right under my nose. In no way do I take the place of the fathers love, rather I am vessel of the fathers love. For example, my next-door neighbor does not have a dad so I spend a lot of time doing things that are in a mentor role. I encourage you to pray and seek where you can express the love of the father to people in your community.