Ang pagiging relihiyoso na dalisay at walang dungis sa harap ng ating Diyos at Ama ay ang pagtulong sa mga ulila at sa mga biyuda sa kanilang kahirapan, at pag-iingat sa sarili upang huwag mahawa sa kasamaan ng mundong ito.

Santiago 1:27

There is a story in the Bible that proves God’s mercy for orphans and widows. In 2 Kings 4, a widow cried out for help when her husband died. Her family has nothing but a jar of oil. At may utang sila! The widow is worried because the creditor was about to take away her two sons and make them slaves (2 Kings 4:1–2). Imagine the distress! Namatayan na ng asawa, mawawalan pa ng mga anak.

But God, who is a very gracious father, did not allow it to happen to this woman in the Bible. God performed a miracle through Prophet Elisha when she asked the woman to gather as many vessels as she could. She did as instructed. She asked her neighbors for empty jars, shut the door behind them, and from a single jar of oil, she kept pouring oil in these jars until there was no jar available. Then, Elisha told her to sell the oil to pay their debts and with the excess, she and her sons can live on (2 Kings 4:3–7).

Are you an orphan? Are you a widow? Remember, You are not alone.

Are you in lack and in despair? Remember, God is your provider, and He is your defender. It says in Psalm 68:5 (NIV), “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” But what if you are neither an orphan nor a widow? Puwede kang gamitin ni God as an instrument of hope and blessing to them. You can either be an Elisha na malaki ang naging tulong sa kanila or a friendly kapitbahay na nagbigay ng  empty jar.

Regardless of the help you can give, God can use you to be there for the fatherless, the widows, and everyone else.