Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:6-7
Defend the cause of the fatherless is the statement that has run around in my heart for El Salvador. Along with the key words in the verse, STOP, LEARN, SEEK, ENCOURAGE and PLEAD! As I had the amazing privilege to spend a week with leadership from Compassion International and see their heart for these kids…it was amazing! I had the chance to see with my own eyes how Jesus is changing lives all over the world through the local church.
We saw a couple of the Projects that CI is involved with and immediately saw the hand of God moving in their community. Actually, we didn’t even see the name Compassion International at any of the Projects. They made the local church the heroes and champions!
So back to the fatherless, I had many chances to see, hug, cry and pray with kids that didn’t have fathers. It breaks my heart to see these kids without a man in their lives to STOP them from making bad decisions, help them LEARN to be a man of God, play hide and go SEEK, ENCOURAGE them to do their best and take risks, and PLEAD with them to eat their veggies! Me, as a dad, didn’t even stop to think about those simple things I do for my boys but seeing these kids without that, broke my heart.
FATHERS: as you sit with your children, soak up every minute of those moments. Life flies by and we need to pray about the kids living without loving hugs from people that care and adore them.
Be a father to the fatherless! YES, be Jesus and show them that they with always have a Heavenly Father and He cares deeply for them but if you know of kids that need a hug…HUG THEM!
