Book Review # 7

Fields of the Fatherless

Tom Davis

Fields of the Fatherless is a book that you don't just read, but it actually motivates you to get involved because:

"In this world you are an orphan-

eagerly anticipating you adoption as God's child.

In this world you are a widow-

longing for reunion with your Bridegroom.

In this world you are a stranger-

a pilgrim waiting to become a citizen of heaven.

And in this world, God has called you to care for the orphan, the stranger, and the widow.

Fields of the Fatherless is a journey that brings you back to what Christianity is really about: Giving yourself to others

Being Christ to a hurting world

And living for the one that comes next."

"Allow me to introduce you to those that God continually draws our attention to. They are the orphans, widows, and aliens (strangers). What these people have in common it their desperate need of provision and protection. They are that weak, the under-privileged, and the needy among us.

Scripture mentions the importance of caring for these individuals more than sixty times! Clearly, the protection and well-being of this group are one of God's great and constant concerns. So much so, in fact, He actually defines who He is by His promises to them.

Consider His promise to provide:

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

Is God in His holy habitation.

God sets the solitary in families;

He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.

(Psalm 68:5-6) "

"The apostle James told us that caring for orphans and widows is the very essence of religion:

Pure and faultless religion is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

(James 1:27 NIV)"

"If the early church spent so much of its time focusing on the fatherless in this respect, shouldn't we make them a priority as well?

God gave the responsibility to care for the defenseless to those calming to be followers of Christ. It is through our hands the father's love comes, it is through our voices His voice is herd, it is through our efforts and those of the church that His care is revealed to the ones the rest of the world has forgotten.

When you reap a harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

(Deuteronomy 24)"

"Job, one of the most righteous men who ever lived, committed his life to share what he had with the fatherless. When he asserted his integrity before God, he described the big picture of what we should all hope to achieve for those in need:

If I have denied the desires of the poor

or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

if I have kept bread to myself,

not sharing it with the fatherless-

but from my youth I reared him as would a father,

and from my birth I guided the widow-

if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,

or a needy man without a garment,

and his heart did not bless me

for warming him with the fleece from my sheep,

if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,

knowing that I had influence in court,

then let my arm fall from the shoulder,

let it be broken off at the joint.

For I dreaded destruction for God,

and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

(Job 31:16-23 NIV)"

"And James says if we see someone in need and give only lip service to caring for him or her, our faith is worthless:

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has

faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a

brother of sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

and one of you says to them 'depart in peace, be warm

and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed

for the body, what does it profit? This also faith by itself, if it does not

have works, is dead.

(James 2:14-17)"

"Jesus in order to reveal His love to creation left the beauty and perfection of heaven to be identified with all people. In other words, He emptied Himself of all that He was, in order to be one of us. In all our filth, all our sin, all our weakness, He became part of humanity- because our brother. You see, we all are the least of these!

We have a tendency to look at passages like this in the Bible and say, 'Oh, those poor dears, hungry, thirsty, sick, and needy.' But that's a great paradox! That's exactly who we were before Jesus found us! We are all the same at the core. And because He has poured out such love and care for us, we are to go find 'the least of these,' and do the same.

The truth is, we see Jesus in the eyes of the poor because we see in them who we really are. We are able to have genuine compassion as Christ has compassion on us- because we see ourselves."

All of the above quotes were taken from:

Davis,Tom. Fields of the Fatherless. (Global Publishing Services, 2002).

I had a hard time choosing what to put on this post, because this book is overflowing with good insight. This is my new favorite book, and I hope to take the words seriously and act on them, instead of just reading them. I hope you will read this book if you haven't already, it will (hopefully) change your life!