e knew before adopting that, as believers, we are adopted into Christ. It says in Scripture that we are God's adopted children. That really paints a picture doesn't it? Does it get you thinking? It did for us. We started looking more and more and finding a lot of things about adoption and orphans in the Bible. Did you know that God COMMANDS us to (as believers and His children) take care of orphans. Here are some verses that we've found both about us as believers being adopted and caring for orphans.
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 word.
Psalm 68:5-6
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
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.
John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, in Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba Father."
Matthew 18:5
And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Ephesians 1:5
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
Zechariah 7:9-10
This is what the Lord Almighty said: "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other".
The one verse that kept showing up to Ryan when we first started the adoption process (and by started, I mean praying about it and asking God to show us when to start) was Joshua 1:9. It says: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
I think that's pretty awesome that He gave that verse to her.
