“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 (KJV).
I grieve for the neighbor’s new puppy as it cries, because it has been separated from its mother. I mourn for the fatherless children everywhere, especially when I see the photos of the starving orphans in some parts of the world. It brings an agony to my heart I can hardly bear.
Awhile back I was meditating on James 1:27 and it occurred to me that anyone who has never been born into God’s family is fatherless. That meant the most hard-hearted, depraved soul in the world. Was I grieving over these fatherless ones as much as the others? The answer was “no.” I felt such shame. But how could I love these wretched souls when they had brought so much pain into our world? “Look at them through my eyes” Jesus said. “Okay, Lord,” I confessed. “But You will have to help me.” And He did!
Gradually I began to focus on their orphan state. Why are they there? What was their childhood like? What kind of example did their parents set before them? Have they ever heard the message of Jesus? What kind of nature do they have? Is it hateful, controlling, insecure, demanding? If we combine a child’s basic nature with a particular environment, it will determine their character and personality. Because God knows these things He has the compassion to be long-suffering and merciful, and when we look at them through the Father’s eyes, we can respond in the same way.
When I consider all of these things, it’s not so hard for me to want to visit the most hated human, either through prayer, or personal encounter.
How about you, Beloved? Are you visiting these fatherless ones?
“Lord, lay some soul upon my heart and love that soul through me, and may I ever do my part to win that soul for Thee.”
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