Widows and orphans have a very special place in God's heart. And you know as well as I, everywhere you look in Scripture… Jeremiah 49:11 says that, “God will protect the orphans and widows can trust in Him.” Psalm 68:5 says that God is, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows…” And then we all know that verse in James 1:27 where we’re told that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress… ”
God is very, very concerned about these two groups of people. And I think you could add people with disabilities to that list. Luke 14 tells us that God wants the disabled to be at His banquet. In Psalm 10:17 tells us that God hears their cry and encourages those with afflictions. Even Mephibosheth, the disabled son of Jonathan who had crippled feet… even he enjoyed special divine protection.
Well, the other day I was wondering just why God makes such a big deal about His people looking out and taking care of and ministering among the widows, the orphans and the disabled. My friend, Judy, laughed and said, “I know why God's concerned about them. Their plight is all His fault!” I kind of laughed and waved her off, “Oh, Judy!” But then it got me thinking, That’s why God is so concerned. Widows can’t help that their husbands die… orphans aren’t responsible for their parents leaving them… disabled people can’t help that they get multiple sclerosis or get born with spina bifida or end up having Alzheimer’s. The predicament of the disabled, and the orphan and the widow is the responsibility of God. God is sovereign and when it comes to what they’ve lost… if a husband has died, God has taken him home to heaven. If a child is orphaned, God could have stopped it but didn’t. If a person comes home from the doctor with a diagnosis of muscular dystrophy, God allowed that, He permitted it.
And so… it’s because of God's sovereignty, He is especially concerned for the widows and orphans and the disabled. It is for His name’s sake, His honor; it is for the sake of His good character that He says to us, “Hey, you people who say you follow me I want you to help the widow, help the orphans… I want you to make good on my name… my reputation is at stake here, and I want to pour out on them my compassion and love and tenderness, and I'm going to use your hands to do it!”
And so, friend, this is why God is so insistent that we minister to those with special needs. Surely you know of a widow in your church… probably several widows. Maybe you know of a child whose parents have died… or a child with a disability whose mother and father have placed him in an institution. Wherever these people are in your neighborhood or church, love them, would you? Help them. Minister to them. Because it’s all for the sake of God's good name.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends