Psalm 68:5-6 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Families are a far bigger issue than many would like to admit. From creation they were God’s idea, and they are the foundation of society. That’s why the devil is attacking them so fiercely in these last days. There have been broken and dysfunctional families since the days of Genesis, but in recent years the very institution of marriage has come under attack, and to my knowledge that is unprecedented. Today we have fatherless children of all sorts. Just yesterday I was reading a newsletter from Persecution Watch that was focused on the children and widows of people who have been martyred for their faith. Such people certainly need our prayer and material support. However, in modern society, far more people are fatherless because of divorce, or their parents were never married in the first place. The problem is, that has become accepted as entirely normal by far too many people, instead of as a deplorable situation that needs to be remedied. Even in supposedly “intact” families, all too often the father is physically or emotionally distant, sometimes to the point of being a father only in a biological and legal sense. God is the answer to every one of those situations. He is indeed a Father to the fatherless, if they will reach out to Him, and especially if their mother will acknowledge and seek Him. However, that becomes much more difficult if the children are fatherless because of the mother’s selfish disregard of God in the first place. Repentance is the key to God’s blessings in virtually every aspect of life. When we seek him in humble faith, He will always answer.

As a pastor I deal frequently with people wounded by divorce, both ex-spouses and children. Almost invariably, repentance is an essential element in their recovery. As it says in the last part of this passage, the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. People can’t get out of the holes they’ve dug for themselves unless and until they repent. I am to be patient, gracious, and loving toward such people, but I am to speak the truth in love, and not be silent out of a fear that it might make them not like me. What they think of me is totally insignificant compared to setting them free. I am to listen to people when they vent to me, but I am not to leave them without speaking God’s word to them, so that His Word may penetrate to where they need it, and cut them free from whatever trap they are in.

Father, You know the people to whom I minister far better than I do. You have the necessary knowledge and wisdom for each situation, and I don’t. Thank You for the privilege of being Your agent to them, even when it is far beyond my ability. I pray that You would indeed set the lonely in families, building them up and thwarting every plan of the enemy, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!