“A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.”
Psalm 68:5 KJV 

There are times when everyone feels vulnerable and weak.  It is during those times that we long for someone we can go to for help; someone who we can lean upon; someone who will give us wisdom about what to do in difficult situations; someone who will teach us and guide us;  someone who will lovingly correct us;  someone who will come to our defense when needed;   someone who we can rely on and trust;  someone who will encourage us; and someone who will love us and accept us no matter what.   That is the role  God designed for fathers.

Sadly, many of us either did not have a father or the father we did have failed to fulfill their role and calling in our lives.  The truth is that there are times when even the best fathers fail and disappoint their children and families in some way.  That is because all fathers are imperfect and have feet of clay.

Those who had a good father feel a great sense of loss when their father dies.   They feel somewhat adrift.   Those who never had a father, or those who had a bad father, have a sense of longing inside for the father they never had.   To fill that longing and that need in our lives, the Living God, the Holy One Himself has promised to be the  “father to the fatherless”.  He is the perfect father.  He is always with us, and He knows exactly what we need in each situation.  He is the One who promises never to leave us. He is the One who fills the emptiness and longing in our souls. 

Through Christ, He brought each of us, who has received Him as their Savior, into His eternal family.  All of His strength, wisdom, guidance,  and heavenly resources are available to us. 

In Christ, no one is an orphan!  No one is abandoned!  He is a Father to all who will receive Him!  So, let us embrace our Heavenly Father,  for He is longing to embrace us!  He promises to be for us the father that we have always wanted!   

Rev. James W. Black