James 1:27

“External religious worship that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God and the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.”

James 1:27 (the Amplified Bible)

What an “orphan” needs most is a Father. This is the longing of their heart.
Is God not the “Father of the fatherless?” Will a true father not meet the most basic needs of His child? Is He not Provider, Protector and perfect Shepherd? Has He not put it in our hearts and exhorted us, through His Word, to do the same?

What a “widow” desires most is a Husband. Is Jesus not the pure Bridegroom? Is He not the perfect Lover? Is His heart not to cover, protect, nurture and provide for His beloved?

These two attributes, Father and Bridegroom, are the two primary revelations of who God is, revealed throughout His Word. As we enter into a deeper, personal revelation of His heart as our Father and our Bridegroom, our hearts will be moved to release this revelation to those in such obvious need of it: the widows and the orphans.

Let us walk into 2008 with an action plan to care for the widows and orphans in their affliction and need.