Proverbs 31:8-9

Growing up, whenever I heard about Proverbs 31, I always only thought about it in terms of the chapter about the Virtuous Woman. I guess I never really paid much attention to the first part of the chapter. But after becoming an adoptive mother and more aware about the needs around me, I have come to love verses eight and nine.....


8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,


for the rights of all who are destitute.


9 Speak up and judge fairly;


defend the rights of the poor and needy. (NIV)

If you have not checked out this ministry,Visiting Orphans, (see link below) please do so. Matthew and I are both leading trips this July...him to Costa Rica and me to Ecuador. We would love to have you join us....we have heard the dozens of reasons why people can't go...but see if the Lord is calling you to join us. We need to remember, this is not about us. This is about taking the love of Jesus to children and workers who probably often wonder if people really care about them.

We don't go visit them to take a bunch of pictures to plaster on FB or blogs; we don't go visit them so we can "check off' one more thing on our Bucket List; we don't go visit them because we want to add a foreign trip to our volunteer vitae at the bottom of a resume; and we don't go visit them to fulfill any other deep-seated personal issue.

We visit them because Jesus has called us to go....He has redeemed us and we are forever grateful for His sacrifice; we realize that we are beyond blessed with the lives that we have; and we realize that living out the Great Commission is not an option, but something we do out of our reverence and love for Him. We realize that He has put us on this Earth, to be His hands and feet....if we, as believers don't minister to the orphan and widow, who will?

We GO because the Bible clearly tells us that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:14-26).
http://www.visitingorphans.org/