Thursday Devotional - Adoption, Take 2

Thank you to all those who prayed for James last week! He is finally feeling better with no more numbness or blurred vision. We’re praising God!

This week, we willingly face a different set of challenges! We’re four becoming six! We fostered-to-adopt James and Sarah 4 years ago and God had plans for us to do it again (it’s a long story, but we had specifically told our licensing agency we were a closed home during the pandemic).

Tomorrow, twins (a boy and girl, turning 4 in October), will move into our home! They were born the exact day and year as the day we officially adopted James and Sarah!!! Finding that out was one of the many confirmations God gave us to “say yes” to fostering-to-adopt again.

We just took our foursome family photo the end of July, which I thought would be perfect for our Christmas card! I guess not… 😉

God continues to fulfill His purposes from the burden he placed on our hearts over 10 years ago about taking care of orphans.  

Isaiah 1:17   Learn to do right; seek justice.

   Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

   plead the case of the widow.

James 1:27         Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Will you please pray for all 6 of us as we go this huge transition? It’s exciting and scary, all at the same time!

Alice

God Will Take Care Of You

But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, son of My friend Abraham,  I have taken you from the ends of the earth. I have called you from its farthest parts, and said to you, ‘You are My servant. I have chosen you and have not turned away from you.’ Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.  Isaiah 41:8-10

As I start my devotions for the New Year, I realized something that many of you may have already acknowledged.  2015 was a hard year!  I know that I had my challenges, but when I recall a lot of the pain and suffering many of you have had to endure, my troubles seem to pale in comparison. Some people I know have even begun to question where God fits in their lives or even if He exists.  When you hear the conversation circle around that fact, you know things have been tough.  We all get knocked down at some point, and yes, the life we live can at times be discouraging.  But today, I want to follow along the verse of 1 Thessalonians 5:11; to encourage you and build you up by assuring that God is still God, and He is with you.

God is with you each and every step of the way.  The challenges and suffering you may have faced last year will not last, and the uncertainty and fear you may be dealing with shall not endure. God knows exactly where you are, and wants you to know He has not forgotten you.  David wrote in Psalm 23:4, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” These are words of encouragement whether in good times or bad.  For those of you who may be in a time of prosperity, let this be a time to pause and reflect on the blessings God has given you, and for you to ask what you are doing for God.  Deuteronomy 8:11 says, “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.”

The New Year is a time to reset and look ahead at what God has in store for you.  We have been saved through Christ so that we will one day live with Him in Heaven. Thus while we may have uncertainty in our lives, we can be assured that God is always with us. What can you do to focus more on God’s promises and less on your current situation?  How can you in live by 2 Corinthians 5:7 where you walk by faith and not by sight?  My prayer for you today is no matter where you are and what you are going through; keep the words of an old gospel hymnal in your mind and heart;

Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;

Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.

God will take care of you,

Through every day,

O’er all the way;

He will take care of you,

God will take care of you!

Amen.

Protection, Blessings, and Love

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.  Psalm 5:11-12

The other day, my family found that our first house had a major fire.  We were incredibly saddened to learn of it, and we prayed that everyone who currently lived in the house was safe.  Then as I thought more about it, I realized that I would never see my old home again.  The memories that our family built there would be all that remained.  But on the other side of it, I realized God had blessed us allowing our family to move to our new home and change our lives.  Even if we were still in that house, I believe we would have been alright, but I did not want to be unappreciative of the fact that God has loved, blessed, and protected our family.  We are so humbled that He has done so.

All of us as Christians are so incredibly blessed as children of God. We could complain about many things going on in our lives.  We might feel our boss is being tough on us or our children do not want to talk to us anymore.  Some of you might have the struggle of dealing with the loss of a loved one, and others wish they could lose the loved one they have (smile).  Many face difficult decisions about what job to choose.  Even some are struggling to decide whether or not to stay in an abusive relationship with a spouse.  No matter where you are in your life, know there is a God who is with you each and every step of the way.  He loves you, and blesses you infinitely.  He is always there looking out and protecting you from harm.  In placing our trust in Him, there are barriers moved that we would never see, and He sets in motion plans for us days, weeks, and months in advance so that each move we make is in line with His perfect plan for our lives.

When we give praise to our God, we have nothing to fear!  God said through the prophet Isaiah, “I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)  God is always looking out for us.  Our goal is to rely on Him, give of ourselves to Him, and give thanks to Him for He is indeed worthy of our praises.  What should you be thankful of today?  What small issue can you give to Him in exchange for praising Him for the position He has given you?  My prayer is that we praise God for His protection, blessings, and love.  Amen!

Caring for Orphans

Some of you know that Joe and I have not been able to have children. We got pregnant in our first year of marriage, but miscarried at 13 weeks. Since then, we haven’t been able to get pregnant again. For a while, we thought it just wasn’t God’s timing.

A couple years later, though, we were studying the book of Isaiah and I was challenged by God’s command to take care of widows and orphans.

Isaiah 1:17                                

Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

James 1:27             Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Joe and I prayed about whether God was directing us to take care of orphans by pursuing foster-to-adopt. We attended a conference about it and then signed up for an official orientation class in our area, but the doors were locked when we arrived (2 minutes late, because of some slow traffic). We knocked on doors and called numbers we had, but to no avail. We took that as literally a closed door, at least for a time.

Four more years past, yet another fertility doctor visited, and we continued to pray about what God wanted us to do. So, last May, Joe went ahead and scheduled another foster orientation, but this time they came to our house. After many training classes and home visits, we were finally licensed for foster-to-adopt a few weeks ago!

Who else are the orphans, widows, or oppressed around you and me?

How might God want you and me to help those around us that are troubled, oppressed, or mistreated?

Alice