Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Monday June 22 2026
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Proverbs 20:7 (GNB)-Children are fortunate if they have a father who is honest and does what is right.
There is a certain blessedness that comes from having a godly father. I am one of the “fortunate” ones whose father set a good example and overflowed with wisdom. There were many times when faced with ethical dilemmas as a Gospel preacher that I would call on my Dad for advice. He always had a word of encouragement and helpful advice to give.
But the greatest guidance my father left was how to keep my priorities right and to make our Heavenly Father my focus in life.
Recently, I sat down with a new tool I’ve been using. It is known as ChatGPT. I uploaded a document I’ve drawn inspiration from for years, known as Tribute To Mothers. I have no idea who wrote that, but I’ve always been inspired by its beautiful elegance honoring and praising godly mothers. I told it some of the characteristics of my father, Larry Tabata, and it crafted this.
A Tribute To Fathers
(Created With The Help Of ChatGP)
A father begins his journey with dreams in his heart and hope in his eyes. He looks upon the tiny life entrusted to him and wonders what the years will bring. He cannot see all that lies ahead, but he makes a silent promise: “As long as I have strength, I will do all I can for this child.”
And so he goes to work.
Day after day, year after year, he rises early and stays late. His hands grow rough. His back grows weary. His hair grows gray. Yet he asks for little recognition, because love does not always speak with words. Often it speaks through sacrifice.
The children do not always notice.
They do not see every worry he carries, every prayer he whispers, or every burden he bears. They do not know how many smooth places in their path were purchased by his labor. They simply know that when they awaken, he is there. When they stumble, he reaches out a hand. When they are afraid, his presence brings peace.
And this is enough.
As the years pass, the father becomes a teacher.
Not merely through lessons, but through example.
He teaches honesty by telling the truth.
He teaches perseverance by refusing to quit.
He teaches responsibility by keeping his word.
He teaches courage by standing for what is right when standing is difficult.
The children watch. They listen. They learn.
Sometimes they learn without even knowing it.
Then come the difficult years.
The children grow older and begin to find their own way. They question. They struggle. They make mistakes. The father discovers that there are wounds he cannot heal and battles he cannot fight for them.
So he does the hardest thing a parent can do.
He lets them walk.
Yet even then he remains nearby, ready to encourage, to forgive, and to welcome them home.
And if he is a godly father, he teaches them one lesson above all others:
That he is not the most important Father in their lives.
He points beyond himself to the Heavenly Father.
He teaches them that strength comes from God, wisdom comes from God, forgiveness comes from God, and hope comes from God.
This becomes his greatest achievement.
Not the money he earned.
Not the house he built.
Not the possessions he gathered.
But the faith he passed on.
Years later, the children are grown.
They begin to notice things they never understood before.
They see the sacrifices.
They understand the worries.
They appreciate the discipline.
They cherish the counsel.
And they realize that many of the blessings they enjoy today are rooted in the love of a father who quietly gave his life for them one day at a time.
At the end of his journey, a faithful father does not measure success by wealth or accomplishments.
He looks instead at the lives he has touched.
At the children he has loved.
At the faith he has shared.
At the legacy he leaves behind.
And if those children walk in truth, integrity, and faith, his heart rejoices.
For a father’s greatest monument is not carved in stone.
It is written in the character of his children.
And though his loved ones grieve when he is gone, they do not sorrow without hope.
For a godly father’s story does not end at the grave.
The hands that once held his children may rest in peace, but the soul that trusted God lives on.
And those whom he loved still hear his lessons in their hearts, still see his example in their minds, and still feel the strength of his influence in their lives.
For the faithful father leaves behind more than memories.
He leaves behind a hope.
The hope that one day, when life’s journey is finished and faith becomes sight, there will be another meeting beyond the river.
A place where goodbyes are no more.
A place where tears are wiped away.
A place where death can never separate families again.
And there, by the grace of God, children who have walked faithfully with the Lord will once again embrace the father who taught them to do the same.
Until that day, his family walks on with gratitude for the years they shared, confidence in the promises of God, and the joyful expectation of a reunion that will never end.
For a good father is more than a memory.
He is a living legacy.
And for those who belong to Christ, he is also a cherished hope waiting in Heaven.
May we all be thankful for fathers who guide us on the right path of life and encourage us to seek for a legacy that is eternal in the Heavens.
Lord, thank You for godly fathers who guide us and bless us. Bless them, and help us to honor their legacy by following You in their footsteps. Amen.