God's Heart For The Orphan By Dr Robert GloverНамуна

Day 2

God Loves The Orphan

Children, the smallest, weakest and most vulnerable, are often those that pay the greatest price for family disruption. Although we often miss their hardship God does not, He is passionate for the orphan. God made the family for children to grow up in and expects His people the church to defend them in their distress.

Our compassion comes from really knowing our Father who passionately cares for the orphan. We love orphans because we love God. If we didn’t understand the theological aspect of loving orphans our care would be commendable but ultimately worthless.

The Christian understanding of orphan care begins with the understanding of the character of God. For years in China, I shared my heart with house church leaders to care for the orphan. It was only when they saw the theological reason to care for orphans that they were reduced to tears of compassion.

The very last verse of the old testament promises that before the Lord returns, “… He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”

Then in the opening chapter of Luke, the scripture fulfills the promise with John the Baptist coming in the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children.

How has knowing God changed your view of the orphan?

In the film below, you can hear Francis Chan talk about how a remarkable village in China has taken in over 160 orphans with special educational needs and disabilities into their own families.