OUR DAILY BREAD : ORPHANS AND WIDOWS

[cimi]

October 12
Friday


ORPHANS
AND WIDOWS

READ:
MALACHI 3:1-6
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Visit Orphans and
widows in their trouble.
__james 1:27
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My commute to work is about 25 minutes, and so to pass the time I have become an avid listener of audio books. Recently, I was listening to Charles Dickens' classic novel Oliver Twist. At one point in the story, I had to stop the tape because it was too disturbing. Although I knew the book would have a happy ending, there was something very troubling about the brutal treatment of this poor orphan.

God cares about the plight of the poor and has a special place in His heart for orphans and widows. Malachi wrote that God would judge those who, having no fear of God, exploit widows and orphans (3:5).

Instead of taking advantage of the weak, we as Christians are admonished to help those in need. Believers should care for those God cares about. We should look for opportunities to provide financial and emotional support for those who have lost a spouse or have been orphaned from a parent's care.

Do you know a widow who needs your help? Do you know an orphan or child who has been deprived of the support of a parent because of death, divorce, military service, or abandonment?

As James tells us, a mark of true spirituality is to "visit orphans and widows in their trouble" (1:27). __ Dennis Fisher
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~~~~~~~~~~Open my eyes, Lord, to people around me,~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~Help me to see them as You do above;~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~Give me the wisdom and strength to take action,~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~So others may see the depth of Your love. __K. De Haan~~~~~
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The more Christ's lvoe grows in us,
the more His love flows from us.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Malachi 3:1-6************

1 "Behold, I send My
messenger, and he will
prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you
seek, will suddenly come to
His temple, even the
Messenger of the covenant,
in whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming," says
the LORD of hosts.

2 "But who can endure the
day of His coming? And
who can stand when He
appears? For He is like a
refiner's fire and like
launderers' soap. 3 He will
sit as a refiner and a purifier
of silver; He will purify the
sons of Levi, and purge
them as gold and silver, that
they may offer to the LORD
an offering in righteousness.

4 "Then the offering of
Judah and Jerusalem will be
pleasant to the LORD, as in
the days of old, as in former
years.

5 "And I will come near
you for judgment; I will be
a swift witness against
sorcerers, against adulterers,
against perjurers, against
those who exploit wage
earners and widows and
orphans, and against those
who turn away an alien__
because they do not fear
Me," says the LORD of
hosts.

6 "For I am the LORD, I do
not change; therefore you
are not consumed, O sons
of Jacob."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The purifier raises the heat under the crucible and observes the
silver metal heated into a liquid state (Mal. 3:3). Only when he can
see his own image reflected in the melted silver does he know the
dross has been removed. God uses fiery trials to conform us to the
image of His Son (Rom. 8:28-29; 1 Peter 4:12-13). __ HDF