I will defend the cause of the fatherless, the poor, the oppressed.

Verse

Psalm 82:3 NIV

Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

God, please make us sensitive to the needs of those around us, especially the fatherless, the poor, and the oppressed.

Please keep us from numbing out and living desensitized.

Keep us from turning our backs from those who are weak.

Motivate us to lend a helping hand and be your ambassadors in the flesh.

Open our eyes to seek the emotionally, spiritually, and physically orphaned among us, and look for ways to respond to their needs with your love as our driving force.

Give us a fire in our souls for upholding the cause of the poor and oppressed.

God, may we be your hands and feet to every single person you allow us to come in contact each and every day.

In the Strong Name of Jesus, Amen.

Could it be that we hesitate to read and apply God’s word because we’re afraid we simply won’t measure up?

What if we haven’t defended the weak and the fatherless? What if we don’t uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed?

Or, what if we have, but it looks different than what the world defines as social justice, mercy projects, and orphan care?

When I consider what it looks like to defend the weak and fatherless, uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed, one clear image comes to mind. It’s like a word bubble of all the organizations devoted to fulfilling this kind of mission.

As you dig into the backstory, most of these organizations began organically . . . inspired by an experience and challenged by a need. For example, the Akola Project and Project Nyamensa were started by privileged girls whose eyes were opened to the suffering of women an ocean away. I once knew these girls . . . as ordinary high schoolers wondering if they would make a difference in this world. No doubt they have, and honestly, I couldn’t be more proud. But what about the rest of their classmates? What about the men and women who poured their lives into them in unseen ways?

Do we have to start something big for it to mean something to God?

Is giving money or volunteering for these organizations enough?

Is it okay to simply be an advocate but not a visionary-doer when it comes to meeting the needs of the fatherless, the need, the poor, the oppressed?

Or maybe, fulfilling this call will come in a form that is so small, we may not even realize that we’re doing it.

When we took in our spiritually adopted daughter, my husband and I didn’t stop and say, “Wait, does this fulfill a biblical command?” Nope. We just did it. We saw a need and responded, even before we reached the point of trusting God for the next step. She became “ours” only because we were allowing the Spirit to lead instead of being waylaid by the flesh. Trust me, there were plenty of times in the ensuing years that the flesh was challenged. Praise God, His work won out!

God’s call for us to care for those in need isn’t a “when” or “where” or even “how” question. It’s actually really a “what” question . . . “What will you do when the need arises?”

What will you do when the opportunity presents itself?

What will you do to be sensitive to the needs around you?

What will you do to be the hands and feet of God in action to a world that desperately needs both His touch and His love?

How is God prompting you to prepare and respond to the needs of the weak and fatherless, the poor and oppressed?

To continue this journey of living brave and inviting the next generation to join you in the journey, get a copy of Brave Together: A Conversation Starter for Cultivating Biblical Mentoring Relationships.

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