Watch the Devotion

Based on Psalm 145:8,9

There is a two-mile stretch of the 405 in southern California where the city of Torrance honors a hometown hero. He ran in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and shook Adolf Hitler’s hand. But it wasn’t long until this man used those same Olympic-trained arms and legs to fight against the man whose hand he shook by enlisting in the United States military.

He famously survived multiple aircraft crashes. But one particular crash would change his life forever. He and his crew crashed in the waters of the Pacific, where they drifted for 47 days in shark-infested waters. They eventually landed on the Marshall Islands and were immediately captured by the Japanese. They brought him to a prisoner of war camp where this man was brutally tortured and abused, not just physically but also emotionally. He endured abuse for nearly two years by a particular prison guard who just seemed to have it out for Louis Zamperini.

After the war, Zamperini returned home to a hero’s welcome, but he struggled with post-traumatic stress and anger. He turned to alcoholism to quiet the demons, but it nearly ruined his life and his marriage . . . until he heard the gospel, the message of free forgiveness in Christ Jesus. This calmed his heart and soul.

Later in life Zamperini wrote a letter to the Japanese prison guard who had tormented him. In the letter, Zamperini forgave him. Such grace, compassion, love, patience, and mercy—not only for those who brought hardship on him but for himself—could only be found in the One who is full of grace, compassion, love, patience, and mercy: the Lord, the God of free and faithful love.

I’m guessing that for most of you, your experience in our nation’s military was not as extreme as the man who is honored on that two-mile stretch of the 405. But perhaps you served during Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan or with Special Operations Command and carried out clandestine missions around the world. You’ve seen some things and done some things. Maybe you were present when something bad happened, and to this day you are still trying to process it. You deal with anger and frustration. Maybe you deal with it through alcohol. Maybe your relationships are rocky because of it.

Or maybe you have been on the receiving end of someone who struggles with anger and trauma. You’ve endured the abuse and anger.

Perhaps there is despair in your heart. You’ve thought to yourself, I don’t see a way out of this. How can I reconcile with those I’ve hurt, with those who have hurt me? How do I reconcile with myself, and more importantly, with my God?

If you haven’t yet, I strongly encourage you to talk to your pastor. Talk to a Christian chaplain. Reach out to me. I am happy to listen. Reach out to our European chaplain. We also offer assistance with professional Christian counseling. I encourage you to talk to someone.

Today, I want you to take this with you. These are words from Psalm 145, written by King David, who himself was a combat veteran: “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (verse 8). This is the kind of God you have, a gracious God. He shows love to you, love you and I do not deserve, but he loves us anyway.

He is a compassionate God. This word compassion in the Bible means that God’s stomach and heart churn inside of him when he sees your condition and the suffering of your soul, and he does something about it.

He is a God who is slow to anger. He is a patient, longsuffering God.

He is a God who is rich in love. This word for love means faithful love, steadfast love, dependable love.

All of these descriptors about God are true because of the name David uses for God: The LORD. This is the covenant God. Yahweh. The God who makes promises and loves even more to keep them.

If you still wonder, Is this for me? listen to what David writes next, “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (verse 9). All means all. All means you.

Yes, you have a God who is slow to anger and great in love. He is the LORD.

This is the same love and compassion and patience that led Louie Zamperini to know he was forgiven, the love and mercy that moved him to apologize and reconcile with those whom he had hurt, and to forgive and calm his anger toward those who hurt him.

Yes, this is the same God who is your God. He is the LORD—slow to anger and rich in love for you.

Prayer:

O God, you form the minds of your faithful people into a single will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise, that among the many changes of this world, our hearts may ever yearn for the lasting joys of heaven.

As our nation observes Armed Forces Day this third weekend in May, we offer prayers of thanksgiving to you, risen Savior, for all the men and women serving in our US military. Through all the branches of our Armed Forces, you protect and safeguard our citizen population, engage our enemies in combat, and provide humanitarian aid to those affected by natural disasters.

Keep the members of our military strong in their resolve and faithful to their vocation, and maintain esprit de corps among all the branches of our US military. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.