June 19, 2016

Psalm 68:5 NKJV - "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation."

Commentary:

Our Daily Verse describes one of the compassionate ministries of God - paying attention to and caring for those on earth who are without their earthly fathers for whatever reason.  Many a child has come to an emptiness when the man they knew as "dad" all of a sudden wasn't there.  Many a father in the Bible died in war.  Consider the thousands of casualties listed after great battles in the Bible.  When warriors were counted in Israel's genealogies they were not just noted for their status as a soldier, but they were looked upon as family men.  Each had a wife and a number of children.  If that man was killed in combat then there would be added to the ranks of the sorrowing many more individuals.  And many of these were children who suddenly became "fatherless."

As much a ministry as that was to God, there are numerous occasions in the Bible where living fathers would take a child of a brother, cousin, uncle, or stranger into their own families.  They would treat them as their own child.  Examples of this were Abraham and Lot; David and Mephibosheth, and Mordecai and Esther.  These men recognized a need and acted as they would want someone to act on their children's behalf.  Fathers know the hearts of fathers.  They know their responsibility to raise their children in the "...training and admonition of the Lord,"  Ephesians 6:4.  And if they were suddenly absent from their children's lives they would hope someone would assist their widows in the raising of their kids.

Fathers, whether a child you know is with or without a father of their own, always give to that child the kind of example you would want someone to give to your children.  And lets all thank the Lord for the father in our own lives.  And if we're amongst the "fatherless" of the world may we also thank our Heavenly Father for showing us His love and compassion.