No Longer Spiritual Orphans

Have you ever felt like a spiritual orphan?

The sense of being an orphan must have been a concern that Jesus had for His disciples. He said to them, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). Adam Clarke wrote, “This word (orphan) is derived from a word that means obscure, or walking in darkness; from the Hebrew, it means to strip or make bare, despoil, because such a child is destitute of comfort, direction, and support, and is a prey to misery, disease, sin and death.” Jesus promised to come to His followers and His promise still stands to this day. He will never leave or forsake us. In fact, He promised to be with us to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).

Not long ago, I read a Facebook post by Judy Fraustro. She is the executive pastor of Crossroads Tabernacle in Fort Worth, Texas. Pastor Corey Jones, the pastor of Crossroads, criss-crosses the United States helping churches become centers of holy fire. But there’s someone who keeps the fires burning at home and essentially manages the entire church, and that is Judy. I met Judy for the first time in 2011 at Glen Rose, Texas, during a district camp meeting service. What impressed me then, and still does, was her love and passion for Jesus. She emerged out of ashes into a beautiful woman of God. Judy and her family are a testimony to the redemptive grace of Christ. Read her post and may Jesus touch you with the awareness that your life matters to Him, and that He’ll never abandon you as an orphan.    

The day I was born there were no hands waiting to hold me. There was no nursery waiting to receive me. There were no grandparents looking forward to seeing if they could pick out resemblances of themselves in my eyes, nose, fingers and toes. There was no one anxiously awaiting my first cry. There was no one there ready to walk with me through this strange new place that I found find myself in.

There was unfamiliar. There were machines beeping all around. There were doctors and nurses looking on in hopes that I would pull through. There were tests done to determine my sex. There was an empty birth certificate with no name on it. There were curious bystanders awaiting the outcome of my life or death that may or may not have been cheering me on.

This is what it was to be an orphan.

The enemy is after our identity and if he can find a place to come in and steal he always does. He is always after the birth, the vision, the heart of whom we are and who we have been created to be. He is after God's glory. Isn't it amazing that God's glory resides in us? As His creation, we are very unique and precious pieces of heavens DNA awaiting discovery.

I don't say this for attention to be drawn to me, but to give glory to our God who goes beyond our greatest expectations and gives us family. He gives us a place to call home. He gives us life in the midst of what appears to be destruction and impossibilities. He restores identity. He pours out His love on us and it changes us in ways we could never dream. He is the God of the forgotten, the lost, the hopeless, the disappointed, the broken and abandoned.

I am no longer an orphan. I am chosen and adopted. I am a daughter of the King. I am whole and healed and awaiting the future with such expectation because my Father never abandons the works of His hands. I have a Father who was always by my side whether I knew it or not. My Savior saw me and placed value on me as He gave his life as a ransom for mine. My life may not look like much on the outside, but I have an inheritance that far outweighs any silver or gold that I could be offered. I have a heritage that was birthed in the Kingdom. I pray each day that I will look more like my Father when you see me!

I want you to know that I am praying today for anyone who has felt orphaned or who is living as if they are orphans. I am praying for sons and daughters to be restored to our Father today. For those who feel as if there is no one cheering you on today just remember our Father sees, hears and knows your heart and He is there with open arms ready to receive you. Whatever the circumstance that might leave you feeling forsaken, forgotten or alone just remember there is never a day you are alone!

Let’s Pray

Jesus, we break off an orphan mindset that might be attached to anyone reading this. We pray for a spirit of adoption to rest upon them and for every person to realize that Christ has chosen them for a purpose. We speak blessings, love, purpose, and destiny over every person reading this in Jesus’ name, amen.