Morning Devotional:
It was a solemn moment, one I will never forget.
Our plane had just landed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport and my companions and I were looking forward to driving our last leg home after a week-long mission trip to Central America. Before our plane arrived at the gate, the pilot got on the intercom to make an important announcement. He asked that all of the passengers remain in their seats to allow one family on board to get off the plane first, as our plane was also carrying the body of a family member in the cargo hold below us. Their beloved son and brother, a Marine who had died suddenly while on a training exercise overseas, was also making his final trip home to a town near our own and a short ceremony was about to take place on the tarmac, where his coffin would be loaded into a hearse and the family would be escorted by military motorcade to their destination.
Everyone fell silent as the grieving family quietly gathered their things and made their way off the plane. No one moved, except to turn their heads and gaze out the windows to watch the scene play out on the ground. While the grieving family was being cared for by our military’s finest, my mind was racing with thoughts about honor, sacrifice, and the willingness of one to pay the ultimate price for the life of another.
I found myself grateful for that man, a man I of course never knew but a man who was willing to pay a heavy price for his country. I also found myself very grateful for the One who paid the ultimate price to save me from certain death by dying for me on the cross. Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross so that you and I both could be set free from sin and death. He paid it all for us, and I am grateful for it. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.
– Beth
Burning Question:
Happy Fourth of July! The Kinship Radio staff share their thoughts about freedom.
Bible Quiz:
Question: What natural disaster occurred at midnight to help set Paul and Silas free from prison?
Answer: An earthquake (Acts 16:26)