“I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, bereaved, and helpless]; I will come [back] to you. John 14:18 AMP
Flicking through the TV channels recently, I decided to watch a programme called Long Lost Families. The programme focuses on individuals who were abandoned or put up for adoption and now want to find their birth parents.
So many of these men and women have gone through life with an ache in their hearts to know and connect with their birth family. They contact various organisations using just threads of information in the hope that someone, somewhere can help them find the mom and dad who gave them life. So many ‘orphans’ have spent the majority of their adult life in the pursuit of finding their birth families, in the hope that it gives them answers and fills that pocket of emptiness in their hearts.
So many of these children were actively chosen to be adopted into loving families and had good lives, experiencing the unconditional love of a parent/parents; however, the desire to know, ‘Who do I look like?’ ‘Do I have brothers or sisters?’ ‘Why was I left on the……?’ ‘Did she love me?’ ‘Why, why, why?’ When these questions remain unanswered, they leave a pocket of sadness in many hearts.
Those who were adopted on this programme spoke lovingly of their adoptive parents and had no desire to hurt or reject them. In fact, they spoke lovingly of the mom and dad who raised them; and these parents, despite their own fears for their children, actively supported them in their quest to find their birth moms.
A hole needed filling, like the missing part of a jigsaw puzzle to make the picture complete. Have you ever noticed that when you look at a jigsaw puzzle that has one piece missing, that your attention is drawn to that one missing piece! Or am I the only one to fixate on that? No matter how wonderful the picture is, my attention is drawn to that one missing piece!
Through painstaking research and the use of DNA banks, many are discovering information that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
Those that were shown on this TV programme were reunited with their birth families. Some moms and dads were still alive, others had died. Some found that they had siblings that lived a short distance away, while others lived around the world. Some got to see and hold and extend forgiveness to the mom that, for whatever reason, gave them up! And those moms, who carried guilt and shame and were forced to give up their babies, got to hold their child again and let their hearts receive a joy and peace. There were tears of sadness and joy as families were reunited.The pain that had been carried, in some cases for decades, was being healed as long-lost families were given the opportunity to connect and develop.
Have you ever felt isolated or alone in this world? There have been times that I have felt that way. But the truth is that we are never alone, as Jesus said these words.
"Don't be obsessed with money but live content with what you have, for you always have God's presence. For hasn't he promised you, “I will never leave you, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life!”
Hebrews 13:5 TPT
Try to imagine how alone the disciples felt when Jesus told them that He would soon leave the earth and go to be with His Father in heaven, leaving them behind. What do you think the disciples felt when Jesus told them this? They must have been confused, hurt, angry. They must have tried to grasp the enormity of life without Jesus as they had spent the last three years of their lives with him! But it was time for Jesus to go to the Father and to take His place as our Great High Priest.
To them, it must have seemed like the end of their world. Being with Jesus, their lives had been filled with adventure, excitement, joy, victory, power, healings and miracles.
"In the midst of these fears Jesus promised His disciples, “I will not leave you comfortless…” John 14:18
The word “comfortless” in this verse is taken from the Greek word orphanos, which is where we get the word orphan.
In New Testament times, the word orphanos described children left without a father or mother. Today, the word orphan has the same meaning. It refers to a child who is abandoned due to the death or desertion of a father or mother.
Once orphaned, the child is deprived of parental care, supervision, and protection — unless that child is placed in the custody of a blood relative or a new guardian who assumes a parental role in that child’s life.
However, in New Testament times the word orphanos was also used to describe students who had been abandoned by their teacher.
Just as children are dependent on their parents, these students were reliant on their teacher to teach them, to guide them, and to prepare them for life. But once the teacher abandoned them, they felt deserted, forsaken, discarded, and thrown away.
In both cases, the word orphanos is used to carry the same idea, whether it refers to children abandoned by their parents or students discarded by their teacher. It’s a picture of younger, less educated, less knowledgeable people feeling deserted by those they trusted and looked to for guidance. This is more common than we think, even in the church there are many who feel ‘dropped’ by those who have taken on a mentoring role yet fail to fulfil this role with integrity.
Many people experience what some call an identity crisis, ‘Who am I?’ ‘What’s my purpose?’ Each one of us is unique. We have a unique DNA code, a unique set of fingerprints and a unique voice. In Genesis 1:26 we find that the Godhead; God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were having a meeting and on the agenda was the creation of man. God spoke:
“Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so, they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth. God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”
I wonder how long that conversation took place for! I’d like to believe that the air was charged with excitement and anticipation as their discussion took place. Scripture is full of instruction to meditate on His word, Psalm 119 is full of examples of this.
Eastern meditation is the counterfeit to biblical meditation. You couldn’t have a counterfeit £10.00 note if there wasn’t a real one! The Holy Spirit is your teacher. He will show you what is real and what is not.
"When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there - you saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began."
Psalm 139:15-16
When we look at a piece of artwork, somewhere there is a signature that tells us the name of the artist. If we know and like the artist, we often enjoy each piece of work they create. However if the artist is new to us, with a style we aren’t immediately drawn to, then it might take time to form an opinion either way.
When I take a photograph or produce some other form of artwork, I only sign my signature in the bottom right-hand corner if I am entirely satisfied with it. By signing my work I’m acknowledging that I value what I’ve created and I’m not ashamed to be identified as its creator! Equally I have lost count of the pieces of my artwork that I have binned because I wasn’t happy with the end result. The person who writes a book, or pens a song, values their work and expects to be acknowledged for the ownership and copyright.
Have you ever thought about how we all got here? The wonder of life, and where we all came from? Is there a signature somewhere that identifies a creator?
The answer lies in the Bible.
Everything God creates is of value, but nothing compares to His creation of mankind.
God spoke everything into being using words. He said, ‘Let light... let the waters… let the earth…’ But with man, God the Holy Spirit got down in the dust and created man with His own hands from the dust of the ground.
"And yet, O Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand." Isaiah 64:8
"Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground.
He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person." Genesis 2:7
That breath bought God’s own life into us! Man now possessed a spirit unlike animals and plants. We became His workmanship.
"For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]."
Ephesians 2:10 AMP
As our creator, He left His signature in a code that scientists would discover in our DNA. It sounds impossible but it’s being proved to be true! To read more about God’s signature code written in our DNA I would encourage you to read a previous blog that I wrote entitled Look For The Signature (April 5th 2024).
God is telling us ‘I made you!’
What will you do with this information?
Will it change the way that you see yourself?
Will it change the way that you see others?
What a thrilling thought, that God himself wanted a family and he chose you and me to be His child. None of the angels could fit that role, only mankind. What makes it even more thrilling is that there's a book in heaven that contains the destiny that he has for you.
"Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!" Psalm 139:16-17 NLT
Those dreams that you have, those character traits, the interests that you have, and your gifting are all written in that book. Even the days allotted to you, how long you will live and what your purpose on the earth is. The problem is that most people are frustrated because they know they were created for more than what they have experienced.
When God said, ‘Let's make man in our image and likeness,’ it reminds me of the time my husband and I decided to start a family. We had to plan for all the things we would need in anticipation of our baby’s arrival. God is the perfect Father. Those who have had children or are expecting will remember how you prepared for their arrival. The room was decorated and colours were chosen carefully, often with matching furniture, carpets and blinds - all the things to make the nursery perfect! Now I realise that not everyone is able to do this, but I do believe that most parents have a dream of how they would like things to look. Then there's the pram, the cot, baby clothes, nappies and feeding equipment and all the other things that the baby will need to be well taken care of. Family and friends add their joy to that of the parents. Everything is prepared for the arrival of your child.
All the baby does is arrive on the appointed day. A baby can do nothing to earn what is provided for them, the love, the care etc. The baby, YOU, simply receives, and they sure let you know when something upsets them! This is a natural picture of what is in God's heart for His family, you and me. God created the perfect environment for Adam before he made him. All Adam had to do was enjoy the garden, rule over it and maintain his inheritance.
Good parents dream about what their children might achieve. Some can save for their children's education and look for the best schools. Every good parent wants their children to achieve more than they did, in order to have a better life. A good parent looks for the gold in their children and does their best to help them become the very best version of themself.
The bible is a passionate love letter from a father to His children about a wonderful world he had made for His children to live in. A place where God Himself could have fellowship with mankind in a perfect state of peace and harmony. Man had been given an identity and a role. Man had the ability to think, feel and act and speak like God.
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counsellor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, bereaved, and helpless]; I will come [back] to you”. John 14:16-19
To overcome these feelings of lack of comfort, requires bravery. I didn’t really know God as my Father, I knew Him as a Father but not as my loving Father. You may not be a physical orphan but so many of us have experienced what it is to be a spiritual one. I came to the place where I realised that I needed a dad; I was tired of carrying all the responsibility of life.
I had to acknowledge my need.
I had to be honest about my feelings.
I had to forgive those that I needed to forgive.
I had to stay in His presence and allow Him to comfort me.
I had to choose truth over lies.
As I reached out to Him, he ran towards me!
It didn’t get fixed overnight, it was journey - an ongoing journey of discovering just how good He is, and discovery of who I am in Him.
Let’s try this; stop what you're doing, turn your phone off and close your eyes. For the next five minutes ask the Holy Spirit to show you what that meeting in Genesis 1.26 looked like, or use Psalm 139.What questions would you like to ask?
Don’t dismiss what you believe the Holy Spirit has spoken to you or shown you in a picture. Write it down, pray over it, ask the Holy Spirit to explain the elements that you don’t get, have a conversation with Him about this. God isn’t restricted in the way that He communicates with you - He knows you, He knows your language.
Make it personal, speak this out loud over yourself. Use your voice!
God made me and He loves me, he made me in the image and likeness of Himself. He has crowned me with Glory and honour. God has given me dominion over all He has made and put all things under my feet. I exercise this authority and dominion by pushing away sickness, disease, poverty or any other thing that is not God’s will for my life. God has crowned me with glory and honour, and I thank you for the Holy Spirit who is helping me regain my inheritance. Thank you, Lord! (Based on Genesis 1:26 and Psalm 8:3-6)
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