A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5

Experts estimate that between 25-33% of children are growing up without a father in the home. Consider these chilling statistics: Fatherless children make up 71% of high school dropouts, 85% of youth behavior problems, 80% of rapists with anger problems, and 63% of youth suicides. Fatherlessness is a big deal. A huge deal. Every year, millions of those children turn 18 without having had a consistent and healthy male role model in their lives. They have no idea what it is like to have a man love them, protect them, and teach them about life. Then we expect them to know how to create stable relationships. Divorce, non-marital cohabitation, and casual sex are the major reasons thousands of children grow up without their fathers. Sin has a high price tag, but sadly it is not always the guilty who pay. Sometimes the innocent pay.

God cares about those children and He expects His people to care about them too. He promises to be a father to the fatherless and He often does that through men who are willing to get involved. Step-dads. Uncles. Mentors. Foster parents. Coaches. Teachers. God positions His people in places where they can make a difference in the life of a fatherless child. But be warned: glimpsing God’s heart may break ours. But a broken heart is a good starting place. Are you willing to let Him break yours?

Final Thought:  How might God want to use you in His promise to be a father to the fatherless?

Prayer: Lord, I haven’t always made the right decisions and my choices have hurt the innocent. I’m ready to be used by you to right some of those wrongs, especially for the fatherless. What would you have me do? In Jesus’ name, Amen.