Morning Thoughts - by Elder Philip Conley

Morning Thoughts Back

James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

This morning, there are many natural widows and orphans in this world. Many are grieving over their lost loved ones, and nothing short of the grace of God and His mercy will reconcile them to their situation. Many times, we cannot even seem to have the ability to say anything worthwhile, because we have no idea what they are going through. While we should visit

and try to comfort these in their condition, let us consider this verse in another light.

There are natural widows and orphans in this world, but there are also SPIRITUAL widows and orphans. You might ask, "What in the world do you mean by that?" Well, consider for a moment what happens to a child of God immediately (days and weeks to possibly years) after regeneration. When they begin to see themselves as they are (for the first time), they cry out, as Paul did, "Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death!" When a child of God is at this point, they feel to be a widow and orphan. They have no father or husband to take care of them. It is now that they need the gospel preached to them. They need to hear some good news from a far country. They need the ambassador to tell them of the peace that rules and reigns in the country to which they are going.

When the child of God learns this and begins to press into the kingdom, they learn that they are not a widow or orphan. They learn that their Father has loved them with an everlasting love. They learn that His promises are yea and amen, and one of them is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. They learn that He chose them and loved them, when He knew that they were unlovable. When there was no chance of them doing anything good or righteous, He still chose to love them according to His good pleasure and will. Then, they learn of their Husband who redeemed them from the curse of the law of sin and death. They learn that He suffered what they should have suffered. Even when we were unfaithful, He drank the bitter water for us. Even though we had many infidelities, He still presented us legally and will present us manifestly without spot and wrinkle to God.

Therefore, the preaching of the gospel tells of the Father and Husband that loved, love, and will continue to love us. While it is our duty to visit the sick and infirmed (including widows and orphans), this is, I believe, another aspect of visiting the fatherless and the widows. Preach to them and show them that they are not fatherless and widows. Finally, the preaching still needs to be to those who have already heard about their Father and Husband. For, if they fail to hear it, they can forget about the One that loved them and forget that they were purged from their old sins. Let us, this morning, be ever thankful to our Father and Husband for the love that was bestowed upon us.

In Hope,

Bro Philip