Ps 68:5-6 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
This verse like few others clearly and simply identifies the nature of the God that we serve. At the very beginning of man God spoke over His son Adam and declared in Gen 2:18 "It is not good for the man to be alone.” The very foundation of our nature is relational and compassionate. Both of these attributes are shadowy expressions of the nature of God that He uses all the pages of scripture to reveal. When the Lord sees someone who is fatherless no matter whether they are young or old He extends His covering over that person and invests as a father to a child as one of the manifestations of His heart. When He finds a widow, one who is powerless to defend herself, God rises up and becomes her defense. When he finds the lonely person He exerts His will to surround them with a family. This is one of the foundational roles of the Body of Christ. And when He sees one who is bound in a prison of sin He offers mercy and delights to lead forth that bound one into a life of freedom. We must never be fearful that God will reject us. His word is clear that as long as we are humbly aware of our needs and reach to Him He delights in breaking the chains of bondage!
The relational aspect of God’s heart that is displayed in these verses is then contrasted with the life of the rebellious with startling clarity. Relationship, protection, and deliverance are the benefits of a life lived for God. But for the rebellious every day is like living under the scorching heat of an unrelenting sun. Even if their lives seemed blessed materially we must remember that it is the state of their soul that is scorched. In the Day of Judgment their own conscience will be their accuser as they stand before God. The very thoughts that have spoken to them repeatedly over the course of their lives, seeking to turn them from their rebellion and restore them to fellowship with God, will then flash before their eyes and they will know the truth of their condition.
This verse reaches to each one of us with comforting arms to assure us that with God as our source we will never be abandoned. We will never be alone. It is vital that we connect to this truth. God is not just compassionate to the widow and the fatherless. God cares about the lonely! God greatly desires that every person who would like to enjoy meaningful relationship can experience God’s love through friendship with other believers as a result of the body of Christ. Jesus has given us the church as the context for relational fulfillment. His prayer in John 17:20-21 “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one , Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” states the breadth of His desire as He states that all who believe are invited to enjoy relationship with one another. The Lord also affirms the depths of the love that we are invited to enjoy in John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” The love working throughout the members of the body of Christ is intended to be of the same nature and measure of the love that Christ has for us! If we are feeling alone then it is time to seek out a functioning expression of the body of Christ in the region where we are called to live and then give our hearts to helping develop this kind of loving relationship within the local church. As we contribute the life flow of our hearts to that environment it grows stronger and is able to encompass more and more people for God’s glory!
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