What Easter Means for Orphan Care

When Jesus stepped his sandals on the shores of Galilee, God’s chosen people had suffered immense affliction and misery for centuries. Under the heavy yoke of Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome, the Jews existed in uncertainty and instability, waiting for a promised Savior to enter their world.

In Luke 4, Jesus announced his arrival by quoting Isaiah 61, captivating every ear, catching every eye, distributing hope to every heart:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Here, the Messiah proclaimed himself as the anointed one of God to usher in hope and healing and change.

Jesus Took it All

Isaiah also explained how Jesus would suffer to redeem the lost.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed.”

Jesus came to take our sins upon himself, to bear the burden of its full effect. He agreed to suffer the ultimate punishment, a crown of thorns, a cat of nine tails, a cross at Calvary. Yet, by overcoming hell, death, and the grave, he demonstrated eternal power to conquer the hopelessness of man. And the good news of the New Testament remains, Jesus is still in the business of restoring us all to our original, glorious design.

Jesus Lived to Suffer and Die

The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus set the foundation of our hope and provided the remedy to our life struggles. His love is the power that lives today to set the powerless free.

At Legacy Acres, we work alongside social workers, adoptive parents, pastors, and home missionaries. We encounter the most vulnerable in our communities, waiting to be rescued from abuse, neglect, and abandonment. On the street, in a shelter, or in the family home, we encounter the youngest souls suffering under a sinful world’s brokenness.

We have been called to these roles of caring for hurting children because they are at the center of God’s heart, the center of Christ’s suffering, the center of Christ’s redemptive power. The same anointing that empowered Jesus now empowers us to bind up these brokenhearted children, declare their freedom by God’s mercy, and rebuild their lives through God’s grace.

No, we are not saviors. We are the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus, who commissioned us to express his love through the power of his Holy Spirit.

An Easter Prayer for Orphans and Foster Kids

Jesus, when we look into the eyes of these hurting children, may they see your eyes looking back. When we embrace the abused child, may they feel your heart thumping in our chest. When we accept the child that has been abandoned, may they find rest in your hospitality and care. May all the children we encounter experience your unconditional love and assurance. Amen.

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The Power of a Crumb

By Will Marler • July 12, 2022

The power of a crumb can lift every burden, heal every affliction, and answer any prayer. Jesus is the Bread of Life, and He is able.

Essential Oil

By Will Marler • July 7, 2022

Essential Oil 2 Kings 4:1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” In the fourth chapter of Second Kings, we learn of a widow left with a huge debt but only a small jar of oil to her name. A debt so insurmountable, her dead husband’s creditors were coming to enslave her sons as a reckoning. In the first verse, we begin to understand the widow’s desperation, but do we recognize the miraculous work unfolding through her faith. Circumstances do not determine our future but may reveal where our dependence lies. A Widow in Need Here we find a widow’s dependence on a miracle to be revealed. She did not seek help from a king or the governing powers, nor did she try to rectify the matter herself. Instead, she sought the help of her only connection to her creator, the prophet Elisha anointed by God. Simply put, she chose the only Savior capable of helping her in her plight. The comforts we seek, the securities we cling to, and the solutions we cultivate by our strength can create dangerous independence from God. How often do we devise well-planned solutions and present them to God? Then pray for Him to confirm our thought-out strategies to resolve our circumstances instead of releasing the problem to the Lord. Opportunity Lost In doing so, we could miss an opportunity for revelation. For God’s response to our struggles is a study in faith. In verses one through six, we find Elisha giving the woman detailed instructions to gather many vessels and fill from her limited supply of oil. Imagine this act of obedience as the desperate mother gathers all the vessels she and her sons could find. Let’s not miss the opportunity like that of the widow, whose faith was limited only by the number of vessels she collected. God’s provision is supplied by our readiness to obedience where His process allows His promises to prevail. Lesson Learned She returns home and begins pouring from her jar. One by one, she fills each vessel. Then the promise of the Father allows her to sell her abundance, pay her debts, and save her children from bondage. The Lord offers provision to all of us. One in which our debts are settled, and our lives are restored. His grace covers the debt of our past and extends to us a hopeful future. An abundance of mercy, as our sins are reconciled through the blood of Jesus. Only He is the provision that meets us where we live. Only he is the hope that sustains us. Only he is our essential oil. Not some counterfeit ideology, a government program, or a class offered in college, but a love that covers our deepest needs. He is the beginning and the end of our humanity, and there is nothing from man that should be in-between. Lord, help us to trust you. To exhibit complete dependence and obedience and the utmost faith in your plan. Help us choose your wisdom and knowledge rather than relying on my talents and resources, learning the importance of total dependence on You. Learn More If you would like more information about Legacy Acres, please contact us today . Will Marler is the executive director of Legacy Acres , a Christian non-profit that exists to provide emergency shelter to abused abandoned, and neglected children with no place to go.