Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Monday May 25 2026
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Hebrews 11:32-40-And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—. 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Growing up, I was blessed to have family members who were proud members of the United States Armed Forces. Even today, I have family members who serve in the military! And as a minister of the Gospel, I have worked with several people through the years who as soldiers suffered and sacrificed so very much for the freedoms that I and every American enjoys. They were (and are) heroes, and should be honored as such.
Some years back, Senator John McCain wrote a book about his time as a Prisoner Of War (POW). I have not had occasion to read this work (although I hope to soon). While doing some research on his time as a POW, I asked ChatGPT the following question:
Can you give me a synopsis of what John McCain experienced as a pow?
Here is the response:
John McCain was shot down over Hanoi on October 26, 1967, while flying a bombing mission during the Vietnam War. His aircraft was hit by a missile, and he ejected with devastating injuries—both arms were broken and one leg was badly fractured. He nearly drowned after parachuting into a lake in Hanoi.
After being captured by North Vietnamese civilians and soldiers, McCain was beaten severely by a mob before being taken into custody. Because of his injuries, he spent months without proper medical care. At one point, the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a high-ranking U.S. admiral, and they realized McCain could be valuable for propaganda purposes.
He was eventually imprisoned in the notorious prison nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton.” Conditions there were brutal. McCain later described:
frequent beatings,
rope torture,
solitary confinement,
malnutrition,
disease,
sleep deprivation,
and psychological pressure to make anti-American statements.
One of the most famous parts of his ordeal involved an offer of early release. Because his father had become commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, the North Vietnamese offered to release McCain ahead of other prisoners. McCain refused because American military policy held that prisoners should be released in the order captured. He believed accepting special treatment would dishonor other POWs.
After refusing, he reportedly endured especially harsh torture. He later wrote about being bound painfully with ropes until his shoulders were badly damaged and he was pushed to the edge of physical and emotional collapse. Under torture, he eventually signed a coerced confession, something that deeply troubled him afterward, though many fellow POWs understood the impossible circumstances.
Despite the suffering, POWs developed ways to resist and encourage one another. They communicated secretly through a tap code on prison walls, shared Scripture passages and memorized information, and tried to maintain military discipline and morale. McCain later emphasized the importance of faith, patriotism, humor, and the support of fellow prisoners in helping him survive.
He remained imprisoned for about five and a half years before being released in March 1973 during Operation Homecoming. The experience left him with lifelong physical limitations—he could never fully raise his arms again—and profoundly shaped his later public life and political outlook.
I simply do not have the words to express my respect and gratitude for our veterans.
To all veterans who have sacrificed so much:
Thank you and God bless you.
Thank You Lord for all of the soldiers of our country who have given so much. Bless them, shelter them, and encourage them. Amen.