The road once stretched so wide, so far, With dreams like lanterns, each a star. We thought the dawn would never fade, That youth was gold that would not trade.
But steps once light now slow their pace, The mirror shows a different face. The milestones passed, the shadows cast, Remind us how the years have massed.
The end is closer than the start, A truth that humbles every heart. Yet closer still is mercy’s door, Where life eternal waits in store.
So number well each fleeting day, Walk in the light along the way. For though the end is drawing near, With Christ, there’s nothing left to fear.
Ecc 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
A mother wept, her heart beat wild, For Pharaoh’s law would claim her child. But in her faith, she made a way A basket bed, some hope, and hay.
She placed him gently in the reeds, And trusted God to meet their needs. The Nile flowed on, a silent prayer, While angels hovered, guarding there.
His sister watched from far yet near, Her eyes alert, her soul in fear. Would someone kind come close enough? Would fate be gentle, not so rough?
Then Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe, And saw the child the waters gave. She heard his cry, her heart was stirred, A foreign babe—but still, her word.
“This is a Hebrew child,” she sighed. Yet not with scorn, but grace and pride. And then the sister, bold and true, Stepped forward, asking what to do.
“Shall I find a nurse to care with grace?” A mother’s love behind her face. And so, in wonder, God did weave The mother paid, her son retrieved!
She nursed him strong, she held him near, While Pharaoh’s court drew ever near. And when he grew, she let him go A prince now raised, whom God would show.
📖 Key Verse – Exodus 2:9 (NIV)
“Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.
Daily Devotional: Our Father Knows Best By Mark Waldrop
Scripture: Galatians 5:13 (NIV) “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
Reflection: In the journey of faith, one of the most profound gifts we receive is the freedom that comes through Christ. This freedom is not just an escape from the bondage of sin but a call to live a life that reflects the love and grace of our Heavenly Father. Today's scripture from Galatians emphasizes this important aspect of our freedom.
We are reminded that our freedom is not a license to indulge in selfish desires. While the world may define freedom as the ability to do whatever we please, God's definition is rooted in love and service. True freedom in Christ sets us free from the chains of selfishness and empowers us to live for others.
Paul's exhortation to "serve one another humbly in love" highlights the heart of Christian freedom. Our Father knows best, and His best for us includes living a life of humility and service. When we serve others, we reflect the character of Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.
Serving humbly in love means putting others' needs before our own, offering our time, resources, and talents to bless those around us. It’s in this selfless love that we find true fulfillment and joy. God’s way is perfect, and in His wisdom, He knows that our greatest freedom is found in living a life of love and service.
Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for the precious gift of freedom through Christ. Help me to use this freedom not for selfish purposes, but to serve others humbly in love. Teach me to reflect Your love in my actions and to follow the example of Jesus in serving those around me. May my life be a testament to Your perfect ways and flawless word. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Action Step: Identify one person in your life today whom you can serve humbly in love. Whether it’s through an act of kindness, offering your help, or simply listening to them, make a conscious effort to put their needs above your own. Reflect on how this act of service brings you closer to understanding God's perfect way and His call to love.
Down a dusty path in morning’s glow, Where golden fields and daydreams grow, A barefoot child with tousled hair Walks without hurry, without a care.
Beside him strides a swan so white, Like grace itself in morning light, And toddling close with gentle pace A plush companion, soft with grace.
No fear resides, no need to hide, The world is good, the sky is wide. No judgment passed, no bitter test, Just trust, and wonder, and time to rest.
The fence leans low, the grass bends near, The trees hum songs that only they hear. Each step a story, each laugh a hymn, Each breath a prayer, sincere and dim.
Oh, let us keep what time will steal The faith that all the world can heal. For in the heart of this sweet scene, Lies all we’ve lost—and all that’s clean.
📖 “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3
O Lord, we lift our hearts today, For Texas families lost in dismay. Some seek the ones they cannot find Their faces etched within their mind.
Hold every heart that waits and weeps, While hope still stirs in shadows deep. Guide every search, each rescue call, And catch the tears that gently fall.
For those who mourn, whose hearts now break, Wrap them in peace that none can fake. Let comfort rise through sorrow’s storm, And love, not loss, become the norm.
We thank You for the brave and strong, The first responders who rush along Through flood or flame, through fear and night, They move with mercy, fueled by light.
So hear our prayer, both loud and still, And give this weary land Your will. Let healing come, let hope restore And bring the missing safely to the door.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
What will it take, this fragile dream, To calm the lands, let silence gleam? Where desert sands and rivers flow, Will seeds of peace find room to grow?
Years of sorrow, voices lost, What price remains, what human cost? Borders drawn by hands long gone, Yet hearts still beat, and life goes on.
It takes the courage to forgive, A chance for all to simply live. To see beyond the lines and hate, To let compassion navigate.
It takes a strength to pause and say Let’s end the bloodshed here today. To build a world where children play, Not fearing bombs or endless fray.
The leaders’ hands, the people’s hearts, Must work as one to make new starts. With every prayer, each tear that falls, The earth cries out, a voice that calls.
What will it take? Perhaps we know: The will to stay, the strength to grow. For in the soil of pain and loss, May hope take root, and peace emboss.
So let us dream, and let us dare, To plant the seeds with endless care. For peace is more than just a cease It’s every step toward lasting peace.
Some days we toast with finest wine, A vintage sweet, aged well with time. The sun is warm, the skies are clear, And joy flows freely, year to year.
But then there come the aching days, Of pressing burdens, clouded grays. The joy once bottled now escapes We’re not sipping wine… we’re crushing grapes.
We feel the weight, the turning stone, The strain of striving all alone. Yet in the pressing, something brews A deeper strength, a grander view.
For God is working through the squeeze, Transforming bitter into peace. What seems like loss, He will refine Today’s crushed grapes are tomorrow’s wine.
So lift your heart, though hands may shake, There’s purpose in each bruise and break. The sweetest sips, the richest blends, Are born through trials—and grace that mends.
2Co 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair
