WELS Military Devotions

Watch the Devotion Based on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 The Watch Here in San Diego, we have a lot of Navy and Coast Guard ships and boats. One thing that has always impressed me is that since a ship operates 24 hours a day someone is always standing watch making sure that the ship and those aboard are safe and secure. This is not unique to the Navy or Coast Guard. When I visit Air Force, Marine Corps bases, or an Army post, someone is always standing guard, not just at the gate but at other secure locations around the installation.   For those of you who have stood watch, this is not the most exciting part of your vocation. Because it can become very monotonous and repetitious. And yet, your standing watch is so vital to the mission and safety of everyone on that vessel or duty station.   Jesus and the apostles and the OT prophets all use similar language when they call believers to watch, because Christ is coming soon. God gives us repeated warnings to wake up, to watch, to stand guard, to wait with vigilance because he knows how monotonous and repetitious it can be to wait. He knows that by nature we tend to get distracted by other more exciting things in our lives than reading his Word, devoting time to prayer, receiving the Lord’s Supper, going to church, participating in a Bible study. Someone once said to me, “Pastor, it seems that when I come to church, I hear the same thing.” To which I replied, “Well that’s good! That means you’re hearing the story of Christ crucified and risen for you again and again.” This is how we stand watch, how we wait.   Because he tells us, “You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. . . So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert” (1 Thessalonians 5:2,6) and self-controlled.    And so, we stand watch—we wait—we prepare. Ask the Holy Spirit to move in you a rededication to faithful study of his Word, for his Word is life for you. The apostle Paul ends this section of his letter by saying, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:9,11).   Every time you pass through the gate or board the ship, and you have to flash your ID, let that be a reminder: Now is the time for me to keep the watch for my soul. For Jesus is coming. He is coming soon. When he does, your watch will end and you will rest from your watching and waiting.    Prayer: Lord Jesus, you promised that you are coming soon. Forgive us for those times we have been lax in our preparations for your second and final coming. Renew in us a diligence and eagerness to hear your message of forgiveness, salvation, and life for us. As we listen and study your Word, do as you promise and keep us hypervigilant, waiting for you to bring us to be with you where we will rest from our labors. Lord Jesus, keep all who watch and guard war fighters and their equipment faithful in their duties. Send your holy angels to protect all who are in harm’s way. When you allow danger to come to them, do as you promise, and work out even evil for their eternal benefit. 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.

Watch the Devotion Based on Revelation 7:9-17 The Deployment That Never Ends—and the Homecoming  Earlier this month I joined several thousand San Diegans and families and friends to welcome home the 4,600 Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Lincoln, among them a friend who is a senior officer. Over dinner that evening he shared stories of their longer than expected deployment. He laughed and said, “There were junior enlisted who didn’t believe that we were actually coming home. Even after we had left Guam and then Pearl Harbor, they believed the Department of War could still send us back out again. They were still uncertain of our homecoming.”   In the early to mid 2000s when I served as pastor of our church in Radcliff, Ky., more than one Soldier stationed at Fort Knox shared with me that they felt unsure if they were coming back home from Iraq or Afghanistan.     Earlier this month a 30-year-old Marine died during MARSOC training off the coast of South Florida. He left home certain he would return from training.    When you experience loss, and bear unimaginable grief, when you wrestle with the “what ifs,” and reflect on your own mortality, and wonder, “When am I coming home? Will I come home?” Jesus wants you to know that you will come home and that homecoming will never end. God has seen it already and shares it with you.   In his Revelation the apostle John saw “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes”(Revelation 7:9). Robes that were “washed” and “made. . . white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). That Lamb John saw at “the center of the throne [and he] will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:17).   The Lamb, Jesus Christ, was slain for you. He rose victorious for you. He lives forever for you so that you know with certainty, he will welcome you home to heaven, with the waving of palm branches instead of flags. Where he will dry all tears. Where he will satisfy our longings and grant us everlasting peace as he leads us to drink living water.   That homecoming will happen for you and for me, but that time and place is uncertain for us, and the Lamb knows and that is all that matters. For you who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb already have eternal life, aglorious homecoming celebration that will never end. That is certain. I pray that this confidence will dry your tears and give you hope and joy when you face deployments that seem to never end. There is a homecoming that will never end.    Prayer: Heavenly Father, watch over our service members during deployments, training exercises, and dangerous missions. Strengthen those who stand watch far from home. Comfort spouses, children, and parents who wait anxiously for their loved ones to return. Bring peace to families grieving a service member’s death. When orders change and the future feels uncertain, remind them that Jesus, the Lamb who was slain for them, has secured theireternal homecoming through his death and resurrection. As they face the dangers of military service and the uncertainties of life, anchor their hearts in your promises. Keep us all faithful until you welcome us home to the place where every tear is wiped away, and we will dwell with you forever. In Jesus’ name. 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.

Watch the Devotion Based on Matthew 10:16-23 When Faith Makes You Stand Out   Dan worked for the government. Dan was a believer in the one true God. Dan enjoyed the free exercise of his faith in the one true God under this government. One day the government decided to change its policy about the free exercise of one’s religious beliefs. What did Dan do? He went home and prayed, giving thanks to God. Dan asked God for his help in this situation.   Dan had fellow government employees who did not like him very much because he was a believer in the one true God. They spied on Dan and witnessed him violating the new government policy. They went to their supreme leader and ratted Dan out. Dan was slated for execution because of what he had done.   Dan’s story might sound familiar to some of you, because it is the story of Daniel in the book that bears his name. I’d encourage you to read Daniel chapter 6 today, because Dan’s story is very much like yours.   As a war fighter, you are an employee of the federal government. Our constitution protects the free exercise of your religious beliefs. Military chaplains exist to protect the free exercise of all religions within the United States military. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of their religious beliefs and practices.   But you and I know that it is not always easy to be faithful. When you are the only one who requests religious accommodation, and you stand out because you are “special,” when you are the one who bows your head in prayer before every meal, when you are the one who has the Bible or this blue devotion book on your desk in your room or your office or in the barracks, when you are the one who reads that Bible or devotion book, when you are the one who does not embody the “work hard–play hard” mentality, you might feel like Daniel.  And do you feel some guilt for those times that you have not lived as Daniel did? But God has made some promises to you. And he gives us the story of Daniel to show us the kind of God that he is for us when it is difficult to live as Christians.   Dan was slated for execution by being thrown into a den of hungry lions. But God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions and preserved Daniel’s life.   God never promised Daniel that he would rescue him in that way. But he had made a promise to Daniel “never to leave [him] or forsake [him]” (Deuteronomy 31:8). God had promised to always be Daniel’s Savior. He had promised Daniel that eternal life was his. And Daniel trusted those promises.    Jesus has made promises to you. About those times when you stand up and say something about the truth of the Scriptures, “Do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” And then Jesus promised, “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:19-20, 22).   Stand firm even when it is not easy to do so. For it is Jesus who causes you to stand firm in him and his promises.    Prayer: Gracious Lord, our refuge and strength, pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people whose vocation is Soldiering. Keep our war fighters steadfast in your Word. Protect and comfort them in all temptations. Defend them against all their enemies and bestow on your church your saving peace, so that she might endure for eternity, for you have promised it. I pray this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 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.

Watch the Devotion Based on Romans 13:1-7 Living in Two Kingdoms  A couple of weeks ago I was running through the canyon near our home here in San Diego and out of nowhere an aircraft came screaming over the treetops. I looked up and saw the recognizable bright blue paint and the words “US NAVY” underneath. It was the Blue Angels, rehearsing for the two-day airshow at Miramar Marine Corps Air Base near our house. I wondered, “How much does it cost to put on a two-day airshow like that? And who pays for it?” It’s probably your taxes and my taxes that pay for that airshow.    How do you feel about paying your taxes? Before you answer that question, let’s first listen to what God has to say through the apostle Paul:    “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes” (Romans 13:6-7).  The apostle Paul makes the point that God has established the authority of the government for the purpose of protecting our property and bodies. One of the ways the government does that is by collecting taxes. They use tax dollars to establish a standing Army and Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, Air Force and Space Force. Paul explains that you who are warfighters, carry out your vocation for this purpose: “For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4).  You may not always agree with the orders you receive while you serve in the military. You may not always be happy with the way our government uses our taxes. But God uses it for his good purposes.   It’s good for us to remember that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid his taxes faithfully and willingly. He honored those in authority over him in the state. He was the perfect citizen. And even though that same government that he respected and to which he paid taxes used his taxes to crucify him. God used it for good, to forgive your sins. For all the times that you complained about paying your taxes, or were less than honest in submitting your taxes, or those times you disrespected your government, Jesus’ righteous life covers over it all. His death pays the penalty for those sins.   And so, he has set you free from complaining, set you free from dishonesty, and set you free to go and be a faithful citizen, to be a faithful warfighter, to carry out your vocations, to serve your neighbor and to share the gospel with your neighbors and to pay your taxes willingly and gladly.   It is not always easy to be a citizen of two kingdoms—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the State —but God has shown us the way, and he shows us his Son, Jesus, the perfect citizen, who lived and died and rose so that we might live in his perfect kingdom forever. Let us keep our eyes fixed on these truths as we live in two kingdoms. Prayer: O Lord our God, so govern the nations on earth and direct the affairs of this world that your church may worship you in peace and joy; may we live such faithful lives in both kingdoms that others see Christ through us and make Christ known to them. Keep our warfighters faithful in their vocations. Give them the strength to carry out their missions and training to the best of their ability, so that your name is honored, and we may live in peace. In Jesus’ name I pray it. 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.

Watch the Devotion Based on Romans 1:16,17 Honored to Wear It  I’m going to apologize in advance. If I see you in a restaurant or at the store or out in our community or at an airport and you’re wearing your uniform, I will probably stop and talk to you.  Not because it’s my job, but because I care very deeply for those who serve in our nation’s military. And your uniform says something about you. It’s going to tell me which branch you serve; your rank insignia will tell me whether you’re enlisted or officer and maybe how long you’ve been serving. The patches on your arm will tell me a little bit about your MOS or your rate, your job in in the military. Your uniform says something about you.  The apostle Paul talks about this when he writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). The gospel is the good news about Jesus. Paul is not ashamed of that good news about Jesus. He wears it like a uniform. Anybody that came into contact with the apostle Paul knew that he was a Christian because of the way he carried himself, the way he answered questions, the way he forgave people, the way he loved them, the way he was so selfless; he wasn’t so much concerned about what people thought about him but that people knew about Jesus.  When you put on your uniform and go to work, you work alongside people in a religiously pluralistic environment. There are people that work alongside you who come from all sorts of different faiths and beliefs, even people who say they don’t believe anything about God. Sometimes this can make sharing your faith a little uncomfortable. Senior NCO and officers have shared with me that this is hard for them to do because they don’t want to project that their faith is the faith of their command or unit.They have to be very careful about that. There are war fighters who have shared that they are a little bit shy about sharing the gospel because they want to fit in with those around them.   Paul says, “I am unashamed. I am honored to wear the gospel as a uniform.” Why? He goes on to say, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Paul wanted everyone to know that he wore the uniform of the gospel so that other people might know Jesus.   When you wear the gospel as your uniform people will know that you are a Christian. They will know it because of the way you talk to people, the way that you are service-minded and not self-centered, the way that you forgive and are patient and loving. Wearing that uniform builds bridges with people. As you build those bridges, God is going to open doors so that you can build a bridge to Jesus. Jesus is what they need.  Paul goes on to say in the very next verse that this righteousness that they need to know is not a righteousness of their own. They are righteous before God, not because of things that they have done, but because of what Jesus has done for them. Behonored to wear that righteousness which God has given you, for righteous is what he has declared you to be in Christ Jesus.    Be honored to wear the uniform of the gospel, that good news of Jesus, so that others may wear this uniform, too.    Prayer: Jesus, you have called us to serve others and to live as your people wherever you place us. Give our military members courage to be unashamed of your gospel. Help them reflect your love in the way they speak, serve, forgive, and care for those around them. When they work alongside people of different beliefs or no faith at all, give them wisdom and humility. Let their lives point others to you without fear or embarrassment. May their uniforms identify whom they serve in this world, while their words and actions show whom they serve eternally. 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.