Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.. - Psalm 82:3 (NIV)
Another young boy sits alone in an empty apartment - wondering why no one is there to greet him after school. Mom is at work, because she has to be there, and dad stopped coming around a couple of years ago. He hardly knows him - but he aches to know him.
A year passes by, then another, followed by yet another - mom now works two jobs to keep the bills paid and food in the pantry. Dad calls at Christmas - sometimes. The young boy now passes into manhood... with only television, friends, church, coaches, and teachers to credit for his idea of what a man should be.
He didn't make it to church as often as his mother would like, there were many Sundays she punched the clock to work extra hours to get the overtime. Money was tight. But the times he was able to go... he often watched families and wondered... what it would be like...
God has plainly given us direction in both Old and New Testament writings - to care for the fatherless. Defend them, watch after them, invest in them. As Christian men, we have the responsibility to step in - and defend them from the eager and waiting grasp of the brutal world.
Showing up for our family is number one. Never allow your own family to be fatherless because of work, hobbies, selfish desires. Get that under control, then find a fatherless child who could use a model. A ride to church, to the ball field, to a youth function, to school activities. This is God's command... defend the fatherless.
THE RIGHT NEXT STEP
What were your childhood interactions with "dad" like?
How many fatherless children are you aware of in your social circles?
PRAY: Almighty father, maker of heaven and earth and giver of life - thank you for being my one true father. Help me to see those who don't know you and to serve those children who do not have a father. Show me how. Amen.