God is the Father to the fatherless
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” - Psalms 68:5
As the world celebrates Father’s Day, I thought of the children that would not have fathers to greet them for this special occasion.
Some are allowed to be with their dads, yet, some kids grow up not knowing their fathers.
They may only have stories, pictures, and videos of their fathers but not be able to know them personally.
Moreover, other children might have their fathers with them but never feel their love and presence.
Thus, being fatherless may leave a hole in a child of what it is like to have a father that protects, corrects, and loves them.
There are many detrimental effects of not having the guidance of a father.
However, the good news is that God will be their father and fill the gaps in whatever makes them feel incomplete.
With God, they will not be orphans anymore without having a dad with them.
More so, God will also defend the widows. So, they should not be afraid of raising their children. God is with them and will never forsake them.
How is God the Father to the fatherless
A child may not have their dads with them due to many factors.
Regardless of the reasons, God is willing to rescue them and become a loving father to them. They could still have hope to enjoy life with God as their father.
Because God becomes your father, you are more than blessed and loved.
Here are some ways how God becomes a father to the fatherless.
God loves His children
“Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” -Psalms 36:5 and 7
The best thing about having God as a father is that we can feel a perfect love that even human fathers cannot give. He is the perfect Father willing to accept our imperfections and weaknesses.
His love is so unconditional that He was willing to sacrifice His beloved son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins and reconnect with us.
God loves you, and it is more than enough for you to cherish your life even though your human father is not with you.
He will express that love for you in many ways if you let him. His love will empower us to fight our battles.
God protects
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:3
One of the roles of a father is to protect their children and their home against harmful things. God will be the protector of the fatherless.
You should not be afraid to walk on your journey, for your Heavenly Father is with you and will guard your ways.
If God is with you, who can be against you? He is your great protector. He will cover you against the enemy's schemes to destroy you and take you away from the beautiful plans of God.
Some fatherless learned to protect themselves the hard way. They tend to be violent or aggressive to defend themselves from others and circumstances.
Thus, when they discovered God as their Father in Heaven, they would learn to fight life fairly.
God provides
“And my God will supply your every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19
God, as our Father in Heaven, is so generous to give us everything we need, even to the fatherless. As the Lord considers them His own, He will provide and sustain their needs.
Knowing that we have a great provider in heaven, we will not have to worry about what to eat or wear. We would have the chance to enjoy life even though we do not have our human fathers with us.
More so, God has His unique way of giving us what we need. You do not have to do it all by yourself.
Some children who grew up not knowing or being with their dads tend to become so self-reliant that they think they can do everything for their needs.
Nevertheless, God is willing to help you. You do not have to face it all alone.
God disciplines
“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." - Hebrews 2:6
The father has given the authority to teach what is right from what is wrong to his children.
He disciplines his children to know which path is suitable for their future and corrects his kids because he loves them.
The same is true with our Heavenly Father. He would correct and refine our character. He want us to change so we could be the best version of ourselves.
God loves us so much and knows that disobedience would only bring us distractions and harm.
We must understand that God’s role as our Father is to help us be the best version of ourselves for His plans and glory.
We should not feel wrong about how He disciplines us because He knows what is best for all of us.
God saves
Our Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from the bondage of sin. You were brought a price for becoming a part of His family.
Although you are fatherless, you are part of God’s family. Through Jesus Christ, you are saved from being an orphan.
Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
You are God’s son and daughter. He is your Father in Heaven. You are not fatherless because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
God comforts
Although we know that God is with us, we cannot help but sometimes think of our human fathers and grieve. We see others with complete and happy families that we hope to experience too.
Besides, those who grew up not being with their dad may still have questions about how it feels to be with them.
Thus, God knows everything about you, even your deepest desire to be with your dad. Those fathers who passed away may grieve, and God knows how much it hurts.
Yet, God gives comfort that the world could never provide. He satisfies your longingness.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we receive from God.”
He is the father of compassion and comfort, even to the fatherless.
God prepares your future
As a loving father, God already prepared a bright future for those who have accepted Him as their father.
Even if you were not raised by your dads, your Heavenly Father has secured your tomorrow.
He has a great plan and purpose for your existence despite not having your dad with you.
His words said that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has ever conceived what He has prepared for those who love Him. (2 Corinthians 2:9)
Moreover, we could also claim what God has said to Jeremiah that He knows His plan to give us abundant life and not harm.
Also, our Heavenly Father will provide us with hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
