Love. And Families.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out prisoners with singing…” Psalm 68:5-6a.

Here’s something interesting.  Scripture teaches that through believing in Jesus as God’s son, we have new life, and God’s spirit now dwells within us.  God’s spirit dwells in holy dwellings, that’s why Scripture refers to us and our bodies as “temples of the holy spirit” where God’s glory (presence) is! Because God is present in us, we are his holy dwelling.  

In 1 John, this amazing picture of God’s love for us is painted. But it comes with a caveat: if we are in him, and we have Jesus and his spirit in us, then his love must pour out from us! We won’t be able to help ourselves! So much so, John says, that if there’s no love, then it’s a clear sign we aren’t children of God!

So, then, if we are truly God’s holy dwelling, we are to be the ones who lead the most vulnerable, lonely, and even despised into a place of joy and hope, life and belonging.

On Sunday, we witnessed what God is doing among young people in our community. God is at work to draw these young people into a loving, restorative family and we get to be a part of it!  Next week I head off to Zambia and Rwanda to serve and learn from four organisations doing the same thing.  One rescues abandoned babies and finds loving foster homes for them, one is dedicated to eliminating violence against women by transforming families, and the other two lead prisoners ‘out with singing’ back to families that are restored and thriving.  Please pray, but more importantly, Love! God is at work!

Adam