WELS Military Devotions

Based on Revelation 12:7-12

I had a college classmate who dropped out of college to join the Navy SEALs. He served as a Tier 1 operator on the teams. One day I got the news that he had died, and it wasn’t in combat—he died stateside.

A pastor friend of mine happened to be serving his spiritual needs and providing spiritual care for him, and he was asked to conduct the funeral service. That pastor friend shared with me that he had never felt more safe than at that funeral service because this dead man’s brothers-in-arms, other Navy SEAL operators, lined the inside perimeter of that church. As I watched the livestream of the service I couldn’t see them, but you knew that they were there.

This is a picture of our special operations teams. They work in the shadows. They go behind enemy lines. We don’t always know where they are or what they’re doing, but we know that they are there, protecting us and our allies from real threats and dangers.

As Christians, we face an enemy who operates in the shadows. In Revelation 12:7-12 we witness this celestial battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The apostle John describes this cosmic battle where Michael, the archangel, the general of the armies of angels—the special forces of heaven—battle with Satan, the dragon, and his army of demons.

This picture that John paints for us in Revelation 12, this spiritual warfare, is not just a picture of what happened in the past. It’s also a picture of what is happening every single day.

The devil works in the shadows to afflict pain in your body so that you despair and no longer trust in God.

The devil works in the shadows to afflict pain in your mind so that you despair and no longer trust in your God.

The devil works in the shadows to afflict pain in your soul by accusing you of all the things that you have failed to do as a single person, as a husband or a wife, as a parent, as a service member in our nation’s military. And the devil does a really good job working in these shadows because he knows exactly how to target our weaknesses and point out our failures and attack our doubts and our fears, but we are not alone in this fight.

The special forces of heaven—even though we cannot see them—are operating on our behalf, and their job is to protect us and fight for us so we know we are not alone in the fight.

Not only do you have the special forces operating in the shadows, but you know the victory has already been won. In Revelation the apostle John saw the victory: “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb” (12:11). The blood of your commander-in-chief, Jesus Christ, was shed on the cross, and that’s what caused Satan’s defeat. He may try to accuse you just like a prosecutor in court, but his accusations against you fall to the floor of that courtroom. They are stricken from the court record because the blood of Christ covers over all your faults, all your failures, all your weaknesses. You have already triumphed over Satan through the blood of Christ Jesus.

And as this battle between good and evil continues to rage on, go into combat confident knowing that the victory is already yours in Christ Jesus. You are more than conquerors in Christ. And know that you are not alone in this fight. The special forces team of Michael and his angels continues to fight in the shadows to protect you. And in the end, they will act as spiritual pallbearers and escort our souls home to heaven to be with Jesus, where there will be no more battle, no more war—only peace.

So go in confidence and conviction today. For God’s mighty angel armies go with you. They fight for you, and they fight with you.

Prayer:

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.

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Based on Mark 9:30-37

If you’re in a position of leadership, one of the required readings for you may be Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.

I’ll just share a couple of things from the book. The author says that great leaders create a circle of safety in the workplace. They inspire trust. They inspire cooperation and peak performance among their team. Great leaders who put the team first or the needs of the team first can create a culture of success. And I’m sure that you’ve experienced that in your vocation as a warfighter.

And on the other hand, Simon Sinek says that bad leadership dehumanizes other people. Bad leadership sees others as a tool to fulfill some kind of specific purpose. Bad leadership promotes selfishness, and when bad leadership puts self first, others get hurt and the team suffers. And I’m sure that you’ve also experienced bad leadership in your vocation as a warfighter.

Today in our reading, Jesus’ disciples give him a great opportunity to teach them and us a lesson about pride and humility. In Mark chapter 9, Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that he was on his way to Jerusalem, where he would be betrayed, arrested, and crucified, and there he would die and be buried.

And as they’re walking along the road, what are the disciples talking about? Which among them was the greatest. This is what pride does: It exalts itself above even God. Pride doesn’t think of others first; it thinks only of self. Pride tries to conform others to my will.

Have you fallen to the sin of pride, as a leader of your squad or team or company or platoon? as a leader in your church or your community or even your home? You’re not alone. I have too.

And that’s why Jesus gathers us in a huddle with his friends, and he brings a little child in among us and says to us, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

Humility means that I see others as those whom I can serve rather than use. Humility means that I see others as people—that when I serve them, I do not expect anything in return, even to the point of serving a little child and their needs without expecting anything in return, because I know that that little child can’t repay me for the things that I am doing to help meet their needs.

And the motivation to serve with humility, to put our pride to death, to be leaders who eat last—is Christ. Christ who was willing to go to Jerusalem to be arrested, to be crucified, and to die, and to die a death to our pride, to become our pride, actually, and to become our arrogance, to become our sin, so that we might become his humility and his service.

Humility, then, seeks forgiveness for the sin of pride. Humility looks to Christ for that forgiveness. And then, having been forgiven, humility seeks to put others first. Humility seeks to exalt God above self, actually, exalt God at the expense of self.

And that, Jesus says, is the mark of a great leader: one who serves. My friends, he will bless your servant leadership. He promises it.

Prayer:

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.

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Based on Ephesians 6:10-18

If you are in a leadership position, one of the required readings for you may be The Art of War by Sun Tzu. One of the principles that this ancient Chinese military strategist suggests is this: “If you know your enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Even though Sun Tzu wrote in the 5th century B.C., these principles still apply today. Know your enemy. Know how your enemy plans. How he thinks. How he operates. And if you do, you are more likely to succeed as you plan and implement your missions against your enemy.

But Sun Tzu isn’t the only one who said this. God talked about knowing your enemy.

Sadly, for many Americans, the enemy often takes the form of a government that is “over there.” Or maybe it even takes the form of our government or the other political party or the moral degradation of our society.

But God is clear about identifying our true enemy. In Ephesians chapter 6, the apostle Paul writes this: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (verse 12). The devil, that fallen evil angel, has combined forces with the powers of sin and death and the sinful world. These are your enemy combatants. And as they plan their missions, they have you and me in mind. And what they want to do is to shake our trust in Jesus, so we do not trust him anymore and are separated from our God forever.

Know your enemy. But also know yourself. Any attempt to fight in this battle by relying on anyone or anything other than Christ—you will succumb in every battle. So know yourself. Know that you need Jesus and know that you need his power. And know and trust that he supplies it.

Paul uses military language here and uses the picture of an ancient Roman infantryman in his armor as a picture of the armor that Jesus supplies for you. Here is what Paul wrote: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (verses 13-17).

Paul shows us that not only is it necessary to know our enemy and to know ourselves, but first and foremost, to know the truth. That belt of truth that’s buckled around your waist? Those are the truths of God’s Word for you. When we know that truth, we will stand against the devil’s lies.

When he accuses you of sin and guilt, know that you have the breastplate of righteousness covering you, that Kevlar body armor, which is Christ’s righteousness. That protects us against all sin and all guilt. It reminds us of the truth that we are righteous in God’s sight, for Christ’s righteousness covers us in our baptism.

And that shield of faith that Paul talks about? Faith’s object is always Christ, and that always stops the arrows of the enemy.

And finally, our head is guarded by the knowledge that we are saved by Christ and Christ alone.

Know your enemy, know yourself, know your God, and know that he will prepare you for war. For in him and through him, we win.

Prayer:

This week on September 18th, the Air Force and the Air National Guard celebrate their birthdays. Lord, I thank you for the men and women whose mission it is to fly, fight, and win. For those who take to the skies and those who support them, I ask you to guide them. Grant them wisdom and knowledge as they plan and carry out their missions and training. Send your holy angels to be with those who dare the eagle’s flight. In your 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.

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Based on Mark 7:31-37

If Jesus has all power, then why does he allow __________ to happen? I know the reason some of you joined our nation’s military is because of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

It was a question people asked on that day, and it’s a question that people continue to ask, especially when missions go wrong, when someone is injured, when someone is killed in action or in training, or when trauma is experienced and continues to be relived.

If Jesus has all power, then why does he allow this to happen? I don’t know. He doesn’t always give us an answer.

In Mark chapter seven, we read about a man who is deaf and mute, and we could ask the same question about that man. Why did Jesus allow that to happen to him? In this case, we do have an answer: so that Jesus could display his power and show us who he is—that he is the Almighty God. He used his power to do something about it. He opened that man’s ears and loosened his tongue, and immediately the man began to speak plainly and intelligently and hear with crystal clarity.

The question we ask then is this: Why doesn’t God always show that power in our lives, with our tragedies and hardships and diseases and sicknesses and trauma? I don’t know. But what I do know is that he allowed tragedy and trauma and death and hell to come to him as he hung on the cross so that we might be set free from all of that. Sometimes he allows suffering as a witness to everyone around us to show them that God displays his power through our weakness, so others might know where the power in their weakness comes from—from God and his promises. Sometimes God allows suffering in our lives so that we are forced to go back to his promises and cling to him and him alone.

There are other times God uses his almighty power to stop tragedy, remove hardship, heal sickness, and heal minds, and when he does, we exclaim with the crowds who witnessed this deaf-mute man speaking and hearing, “He has done all things well.” (Mark 7:37).

Whatever Jesus chooses to do with his almighty power, he does it well. And he always has us in mind. He always has our benefit and our good in mind. And that is enough for us. So we will trust him. We will trust that he will do what is best for us.

Prayer:

Continue to comfort those who have lost family or friend in the events of 9/11. Comfort those who have lost family or friend or those who have lost limb or the stability of mind in many years of war following 9/11. Comfort them with assurance that you are much more powerful than death, more powerful than grief, more powerful than suffering. That there is our hope, our sure certainty of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 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.

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Based on various Scripture readings

One of the concerns that I often get from our warfighters, especially recruits and warfighters who are deployed, is this: “Chaplain, I like to read my Bible, but I don’t always understand what I’m reading.” “Chaplain, I’d like to read my Bible, but I just lose focus.” “Chaplain, I’d like to read my Bible, but I just don’t know where to start.”

All of these concerns are understandable. There are days when I read my Bible and there are things in there that I still don’t understand. There are times that if I don’t plan to read my Bible, it’s not going to get done. And finally, there are days that I just can’t focus.

If you could see my desk right now, you’d see that it’s filled with sticky notes and piles of mail. So first of all, what I’ve done recently is move my personal devotion space to a different location in my home so I’m not distracted by all of the sticky notes and piles of mail and my phone and my laptop.

Secondly, what I also do is journal while I’m reading Scripture. I write things down so that I stay focused on those thoughts and prayers that I would like to pray as I’m reading my Bible.

And thirdly, I have a self-study Bible that has all sorts of notes and cross-referencing so that it helps me understand what I’m reading. If you don’t have one of those, I recommend The Lutheran Study Bible. You can order that from Northwestern Publishing House.

But while you’re waiting for your new study Bible to arrive in the mail, here’s what Martin Luther taught when he was asked, “Dr. Martin, how do you read your Bible, and how do you pray?” What he shared has become known as “Luther’s four strands.” Think of a wreath that is made up of four strands. While you read your Bible, Luther said, ask these four questions.

The first strand is instruction. Look for any words or phrases where God may give you instruction about something. Now, as Christians, I know that we often look for those things like, How does God want me to live as a single person? or as a warfighter? or as a husband or wife? or as a mother or father? or as a citizen or good neighbor?

Those are good instructions to look for. But what I would suggest to you is to first look for this: How is God wanting to instruct me about Christ for me? In this passage, as I read it, how do I see Christ for me? How do I see him fulfill God’s law perfectly for me where I have failed? Where does he obey, where I have rebelled against God? Where do I see Christ loving perfectly and forgiving perfectly, where I have failed to do those things for my neighbor? If there’s something lacking, how does God show me that he has supplied this through Christ for me? So that’s the first strand—instruction. How is God instructing me?

The second strand is to read through the passage again and look for something to give thanks for. Is there something in this passage that makes me sit back and go, “Wow, thank you, God!”

The third strand is confession. As you read through the section of Scripture again, look for something that points out your sin. Where have I failed to love my neighbor? Where have I failed to forgive and to serve? Confess that sin and then go back up to that first strand and see Christ for you and forgiveness for you.

And finally, the fourth strand is prayer. Read through the passage one more time and be attentive to what in that passage might lead you to pray—whether it is intercession for someone else, praying for yourself, praying about what you have learned in the Scripture reading, or just praying and thanking God that he is with you as he promises as you study his Word.

So those are the four strands: 1. instruction, 2. thanks, 3. confession, and 4. prayer. My challenge to you is to put it into practice today. The readings for this coming Sunday are:

Choose one of these readings, or all of them, and prayerfully work through them using the four strands from Martin Luther.

I would love to hear your thoughts about which passage you studied and what would God have you learn in that reading according to Luther’s four strands. But before you do all of that, just stop and pray and ask God that he would open your eyes so that you may see beautiful things in his Word.

Prayer:

Gracious heavenly Father, as our country pauses to contemplate the freedom to work and the employment opportunities that are available to us, may we never lose sight of the fact that it is only because of your grace and favor that we are able to work. We thank you, Lord, for the blessings of employment and work and vocation that we have had in the past and at the present. May all that we do at work give glory to you and your precious name. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, whom we love and serve. 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.

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Based on John 6:51-69

Last week we talked about MREs and the spiritual food that Jesus gives us, which are his promises. An MRE was given to me a few months ago. I was at an army post, and a soldier invited me to go out to gunnery with his battalion. He arranged that with legal and made it all good.

We were able to go out there for nighttime gunnery, which was amazing. I was given an MRE, which was going to be my food for the night. Unfortunately, we just never had time to break it open and cook it up and eat it because we were so busy with the mission. And by the time we got back to HQ at two in the morning, we were pretty hungry and no longer needed the MRE.

When you’re out in the field, sometimes an MRE is the only food that you get to eat. And sometimes that’s hard to accept because maybe you’re wishing for mango salsa fish tacos or a porterhouse steak medium rare or rare with a baked potato.

Sometimes there’s this temptation for us when it comes to our spiritual food. Maybe we wonder, is there something that’s maybe a little bit more tasty, a little bit more appetizing out there? There’s got to be other options out there, so the temptation is to try other spiritual foods. What that might look like is trying other churches. They might have a great young adult group or activities for families, but the preaching and the teaching lack substance.

Or maybe it looks like watching YouTube videos that are spiritual or religious, but the substance isn’t there because it doesn’t focus on Christ for you but rather is very self-centered even though it may sound Christian.

Jesus asked a big group of disciples about this one time after he had said this to them in John chapter 6: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Now, after Jesus said that, there were some in his group that questioned the exclusivity of Jesus’ teaching. Could Jesus himself be the only living bread from heaven, the only way to get to God, the Father in heaven?

Jesus then turned to his 12 closest disciples and asked them about this, and this is how they responded: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

There may be times that an MRE is the only food that you get to eat. And it’s necessary to eat it because it’s the only sustenance that you will receive that day. When it comes to religion or spiritual growth, there are a lot of choices out there for you. There are so many options. But Jesus gives us the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, the only bread—and those are his words of promise, as they are taught and preached in their truth and purity.

His promises are the only food that we really need. They alone give life. They alone give you the forgiveness of your sins. They give you identity. They give you strength and comfort and peace. They give you a resurrection from the dead, and they give you eternal hope. Eat that Bread of Life daily, and you will live. He promises it.

Prayer:

Recently a carrier group from our West Coast deployed to the Middle East. We ask that you send your holy angels to keep these sailors safe in body, mind, and soul. De-escalate the political and religious tensions in that area so that those whom you have called to be your own might live in peace and safety, and that human life might be preserved to the glory of your name. In your name we 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.

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Based on John 6:35,48-50

What does an MRE give you? Well, it gives you a longing for home-cooked meals. But it also gives you sustenance until your tummy growls at you, and you are reminded that you need to eat again. But what do we eat when our souls and our hearts growl, reminding us of this aching hole that longs to be filled with the bread of forgiveness for that guilt?

Well, sometimes we fill it with foods that are unhealthy. When we feel guilty, we go to the spiritual grocery store, and sometimes we look at this aisle, and we sometimes punish our bodies by just working really, really hard in the gym. Or maybe we go to the other side of the grocery aisle, and we overindulge in substances, or we binge on inappropriate videos or engage in non-committed physical relationships—anything and everything that might help us forget about the guilt. And it works, for a little bit. But it never really satisfies that guilt, never fills that God-sized hole in our hearts and our minds and our souls.

So, my friends, I invite you to come and eat and drink

Here’s what Jesus says in John chapter 6: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. . . . I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die” (verses 35,48-50).

Manna was that miraculous food that the Lord in his grace and mercy provided for the people of Israel for 40 years for two million people, but they all died. Jesus promises bread from heaven. But when we eat this bread—and he’s talking about his words and promises—we receive forgiveness of our sins. We receive pardon for our guilt.

So for all of that guilt that you feel, and the ways that you’ve tried to deal with it, go to the cross and see that Jesus is your guilt, and you are his innocence. He gives you a new life, free from guilt, right now. He promises it, just for you.

So how might you continue to eat this bread? Attend worship on Sunday mornings. Do it regularly. Make it your habit, whether that’s in person, or if you’re far away from your home church, then online. Receive your Lord’s body and blood for the forgiveness and pardon of your guilt. Read the Scriptures. Engage in daily devotional time, which you’re doing right now.

Invite a battle buddy to be just that for you—a battle buddy. Somebody to hold you accountable, and you hold them accountable to be faithful in eating this bread from heaven. Put a plan down on a calendar, but eat and drink with Jesus today and every day. Because you and I are going to feel guilty at times in our life, and we’re going to get hungry, and we’re going to get thirsty. But let Jesus’ words of forgiveness and pardon in peace truly satisfy that hunger today and every day.

Prayer:

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.

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Based on 1 Corinthians 10:13

“God won’t give you more than you can handle.” Maybe someone has said this to you when you were on the “struggle bus” of life. Maybe you said these words to someone who was on the struggle bus. Where does that phrase come from? Is that something that God has promised us? Is it something that we can put our trust in when we are on the struggle bus of life?

The answer is no. It’s not exactly found in the Bible that way. It’s not a promise from God. Actually, just the opposite is true. The apostle Paul, when he writes his letters, describes times in his ministry when the enemies of the gospel were actively seeking to take his life. He said, “We were beyond our ability to endure. We were overwhelmed with despair.”

Or there was another time he was on a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and for two weeks, a storm of hurricane-force winds was tossing the ship back and forth, and he wrote, “We despaired of life. We gave up all hope of being saved.”

God often gives us more than we can handle. And I’m sure you have felt that way, and I’m sure you have said to yourself, God is giving me more than I can handle now. Those times when the drill sergeants were eagerly waiting for you at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. Or that time you got really anxious because there was a no-go on a mountain phase or a jungle phase and you had to be recycled.

Or maybe there was that deployment when you were away from friends or family members or a spouse. Or maybe you were the one who was left behind while your spouse or child or friend was deployed. Or maybe it was an injury or an illness, and it caused you to have to separate from the military and pursue another vocation. And you said, God is giving me more than I can handle.

So where does that phrase come from, that God won’t give you more than you can handle? Well, oftentimes it’s a misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 10:13, where the apostle Paul says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

The apostle Paul, first of all, wants to teach us that when it comes to temptation, the devil attempts to convince us that trusting in God’s promises and God’s will for our life is optional. Paul tells us that there is nothing the devil will throw at us that should surprise us.

Secondly, Paul teaches us that the devil will tempt us to believe that God doesn’t care, that maybe he doesn’t have the ability to help us in our situation with a particular struggle in life. Or the devil will tempt us to believe that we can by our own resolve or grit get ourselves out of a difficult situation. Or finally, maybe the devil tempts us to completely despair and believe there is no way out.

God promises, “I will always provide a way out of that temptation.” And the way out of temptation is Christ Jesus, who rode the struggle bus his entire life, being harassed and afflicted by the devil. But he withstood the devil’s attacks and temptations perfectly, and he did it for you and for me.

Christ Jesus is the way out of temptation. He promises that even when it feels like God is giving you more than you can handle, he is with you to provide direction when you feel lost. He will remind you that, yes, he does love you. He will encourage you that in your weakness, God will prove to be your strength. He promises you that God’s grace is sufficient for you when he gives you more than you can handle.

So, my friends, remember that he, the maker of heaven and earth, is handling it. Trust that he is. Trust that Christ is enough for you.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, when tempted, no one can say, “God is tempting me.” For you, O Father, tempt no one. Sometimes you test our faith through the trials and tribulations of life. You often do, only so that you can draw us, your children, back to you. Guide us and strengthen us so that we do not fall into temptation by the scheming of the devil, the sinful world, or the desires of our sinful self. Help us to look to your Son, Jesus, who defeated the devil’s lies for us, and to trust that by your Son, Jesus, we are holy in your sight.

Today I ask that you watch over those who are just getting their feet wet in military life, the junior enlisted. Grant them a sense of duty to the mission, respect for their commanding officers, and servants’ hearts. Cause them to grow into faithful leaders so that our nation’s military remains strong. I ask it, in the name of your dear Son, our Savior, Jesus. 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.

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Based on 2 Kings 6:8-17

You are surrounded. You are surrounded by people who don’t necessarily share your morals, values, or faith in Jesus. These people are not always necessarily actively opposed to what you believe—maybe they just don’t really want anything to do with church or Bible study.

And there are those who are actively opposed, and there are still those too that maybe make fun of and poke at you because of what you believe. It is, unfortunately, the culture in which you live as a warfighter. In our nation’s military, there’s that mindset of work hard, play hard.

But not just in the military culture, it is in our American society too. Recent studies show that almost a third of our population identifies as religiously unaffiliated. Sixteen percent of all American adults say they attend a worship service regularly. Sixteen percent! You and I are surrounded. And yet your Lord Jesus says to you and me today, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

This is the encouragement that the prophet Elisha spoke to his servant when they were surrounded, quite literally. The Lord’s people, the Israelites, were at war with their enemy, the Arameans. And every time the king of Aram would set up an ambush to provide certain disaster for the Israelite armies, the Lord would tell this to the prophet Elisha. Elisha would in turn share this with the king of Israel. The king of Israel would then maneuver his troops so that they would escape certain disaster.

Of course, this enraged the king of Aram and all of his officers, and he was certain that there was a commander in his army that was a spy. But one of his officers figured out what was going on, reported this to the king, and the king promptly ordered a battalion of cavalry soldiers to find Elisha and eliminate him.

So one morning, Elisha’s servant woke up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, went to the walls of the city and peered out, and saw that the city in which they were staying was completely surrounded by enemy chariots and soldiers armed and ready to kill Elisha. Elisha’s servant ran back into the house, woke up his sleeping master, and cried out, “My lord! What shall we do?” This is what God’s prophet calmly said to him. “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

You and I, we are surrounded. So we pray, O Lord, open our eyes so that we may see that those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Yes, the Lord and his army of angels are with us. May this knowledge make us bold and courageous and unafraid as we live our faith in Jesus, as we answer those who have questions about the Bible and about Jesus, as we invite them to come and see Jesus. Yes, we are surrounded by the Lord and his angel armies. For those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

Prayer:

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.

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Based on 2 Corinthians 9:8-11

I recently received a care package from one of our warfighters stationed in South Korea. He’s there with his wife and their eight-month-old daughter. The cookies, which are just amazing with coffee, have already been opened. And the chocolates—there are a couple boxes that are missing. I’m not sure where they went.

Then there was also a thank-you card that accompanied the care package. It said, “Thank you, Chaplain, for all the time that you spent with me.” He and I spent a lot of time together on Zoom as I was training him to be a religious lay leader. It was so nice to receive this care package and thank-you card.

I share this story with you because it is a picture of our Scripture this week—2 Corinthians 9:8-11: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in Thanksgiving to God.”

When it comes to being generous to others with our time, with the skills and abilities that God has given us, and with our finances, oftentimes the temptation can be to think, I don’t have enough to be generous to other people. I give expecting something in return, or I may feel that the recipient of my gift may need to show some sort of gratitude for my gift.

But the apostle Paul erases all of those temptations by pointing us to God’s generosity to us. God has generously given us all that we need. He gives us daily bread, food, clothing, and shelter, and so much more than we need or deserve. He provides family members and friends and extended family to support and encourage us.

He calls pastors and chaplains to provide for our spiritual needs and, most importantly, he gives us his Son, Jesus, so we know that we are forgiven by his death on the cross. We know that we have eternal life in heaven because he rose from the dead for us. And we know that we are not alone because he promises to be with us always.

We have all things because God has sincere concern for us, and he shows it by being generous to us. We will now be generous to others in every way. We will have sincere concern for all people and give knowing that we cannot outgive the Giver, God, who promises to provide all things.

My challenge to you is this: Look around you, and you will see someone in need. Someone who needs your time and your skill set, your abilities, your kindness, your financial hope, a care package from you that you send to them so that, as Paul says, your generosity will result in giving to God.

Prayer:

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.

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