Compassion: 30 Days of HeartworkSample

Adopted

HEART // 

The truth that Psalm 68 speaks is that God is a Father to the orphan and defends the lonely and the hopeless. While it is easy to see this truth when we hear about an abandoned child being physically adopted into a loving family, there is a kind of adoption that every human heart needs. 

We can see this through the story of Desgew, who grew up in poverty in Ethiopia. When he was in fourth grade, Desgew’s mother died from tuberculosis and he was left as an orphan. Desgew lived with his neighbors for two years, but eventually ran away because it was not a good living situation. Thankfully, Desgew had been registered at a Compassion International child development center, so that’s where he went. The years to follow were not easy. The church tried to find a family to adopt Desgew, but nobody would, leaving him feeling unwanted and unloved. Finally, Desgew was able to get a home through the support of Compassion’s Highly Vulnerable Children’s Care. Although Desgew still often struggled financially, he knew he had a home and people who would take care of him. During this time, Desgew also made a personal decision to follow Jesus. As he began following Jesus and becoming more active in his church, Desgew watched as the Lord provided money, stability and the opportunity to attend university. Now Desgew is pursuing a career in law and running a gospel music shop. He went from being an orphan in flesh and spirit to joining in the freedom and provision of the family of God.  

One of the most shocking and thrilling lines in today’s verse is that God “leads the prisoners out with singing.” He loves to take the most oppressed lives and restore them. We never need to fear that living as a child of God could lead to a boring, stifled existence. He sets the lonely in families and gives us our hearts’ greatest desires. He loves us so well that we can’t help but love those around us ... just to be like Him. 

WORK //

As children of God, we all have something to offer this world. In Him, we are not defined by what we cannot do, our shortcomings or our limitations. We are defined by who we are created to be in Him. Spend some time asking God how you can join Him in His work of defending, freeing and loving people. Journal about a few ways you can reach out to someone who is living in brokenness and rejection and love them the way God does.