God’s Special Promises for the Fatherless and Widow

For those of us who find ourselves in the category of the fatherless and widow, there are special blessings outlined in God’s Word. God is faithful, and we can take much comfort in the promises He has given. The scriptures outlined below have given me much comfort in the last few months.

The Bible shows a tremendous amount of consideration for a unique group of people. God is very plain about how this special class of people should be treated.

In Exodus 22:22 God said, “You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.” Also James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble.” Of course, God loves and wants us to help the motherless and the widower as well.

My experience

I never thought that I would be a single parent raising our teenage son. After my husband died, that responsibility fell fully on my shoulders. Of course, we had the blessing of a strong Christian father in those formative years. Our son’s character is set in many ways by the example that he had.

My husband was the sole breadwinner in our family. I had not pursued my career because we agreed that I would stay home and care for and homeschool our children.

When I lost my husband, we had to immediately look at life through a whole different set of eyes. I wanted to encourage the children and help them to know that even in our suffering God was there, and that He would see to it that our needs would be met.

Encouraging scriptures

Psalm 68:5 was very encouraging to us: “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.” What a tremendous comfort to know that He will be a father to our children and defend us! I wanted to encourage my children that we were not alone, and that God cared enough to give us these special promises.

We also are told that God is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits have been crushed (Psalm 34:18, New Living Translation).

I can’t begin to tell you how “crushed” we were when we experienced my husband’s untimely death. I searched the Scriptures for comfort and to give comfort to my children. We were all, of course, in a great deal of shock. But even in the midst of such tragedy, we knew where to go for answers. God does not leave us comfortless. He says in John 14:18: “I will not leave you as orphans (comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn and helpless); I will come (back) to you!” (Amplified Bible, emphasis added).

Wow! What a powerful promise that is. We are not alone, and God will come to us in our bitter trials. He says He will be with us as we grieve and as we find a way to cope in our new circumstances.

You don’t ever get over it

I was talking to a friend who lost her mother when she was in her teens. She said, “You don’t ever get over it; it just gets different.” I found that so helpful. I wouldn’t want us to “get over it.” I don’t want my children to forget their father and the influence and place he will always have in their lives. I don’t want to get over the 25 years of a Christian marriage that provided so much love and happiness.

As we go through the necessary grieving process, we hold on to a great hope based on God’s great plan.

Our hope in the future is tied to seeing each other and being together again. We understand that what we face today is not a permanent situation. God’s plan of salvation includes the resurrection of His saints, who will go on to serve in the Kingdom of God. So, we look at our current trial as a temporary situation, because God’s master plan will reunite us.

I encourage you to read more about the hope God offers in the inspiring booklet The Mystery of the Kingdom.

Lori Bryant attends the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in Joplin, Missouri, with her two children, Kayla and Andrew.

Previous posts by Lori Bryant:

• Facing My Husband’s Death: Learning to “Walk by Faith and Not by Sight”
• In Times of Trial, Why We Need an Attitude of Gratitude