Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. – Psalm 68:4-6
The truth that Psalm 68 speaks is that God is a Father to the orphan and defends the lonely and the hopeless. While it is easy to see this truth when we hear about an abandoned child being physically adopted into a loving family, there is an adoption that every human heart is in need of.
Jack Frost wrote in his book Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship, “We all were born with an orphan heart that seeks to independently do everything our own way. We never feel at home, we’re afraid to trust, afraid of rejection, and afraid to open up our hearts to receive love.” He goes on to say that, “this orphan heart must be displaced by being introduced and submitted to a loving Father.”
One of the most shocking and thrilling lines in today’s verse is that God “leads the prisoners out with singing.” He loves to take the most oppressed lives and restore them. We never need to fear that living as a child of God could lead to a boring, stifled existence. He sets the lonely in families and gives us our hearts’ greatest desires. He loves us so well that we can’t help but love those around us… just to be like Him.
Research: How Do I Fit?
Today we’re starting to get practical. Choose one organization that you’re going to volunteer with or donate to. Learn exactly what that process looks like. If you’re donating, are you going to give a one-time gift or are you going to set up regular donations? Many organizations have different areas you can donate to; which one do you want your money to go to? If you are volunteering, look into the prerequisites for donating your time. Do you have to go through an orientation? Do you need to fill out any paperwork or make an appointment to volunteer? Make sure you have all the information you need in order to spend yourself well.
Activity: We Find Ourselves Together
Today’s activity might take a little longer than the other ones. We want you to plan a prayer meeting with your friends or family. Try to reach out to everyone you want to come today, and set up a time that works for as many people as possible. When you gather to pray, begin by asking God to reveal Himself through your time together. Pray that your gifts and identity and the gifts and identities of those around you would be strengthened and would grow. Then, take some time to pray for those who don’t know God’s love, and so don’t know who they are. Pray for people you know and people you don’t. If you can, pray for people by name, but also make sure to pray for groups of people who are lost without the knowledge of their Creator’s care.