Military Devotion – Not a Story—A Sure Word – February 13, 2026

Watch the Devotion

Based on​ 2 Peter 1:16-21

In the military, credibility matters. Eye-witness testimony carries weight. “I was there. I saw this happen.” That matters on after-action reports and sworn statements because they are grounded in reality, not rumor.

The Apostle Peter understood that. That’s why he begins this section of his letter by saying, “We did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power” (2 Peter 1:16). In other words: “This isn’t propaganda. This isn’t religious spin. This isn’t a morale-boosting story someone made up to help people cope. It’s not even AI generated.”

Peter says, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). He’s talking about the Transfiguration —when he saw Jesus in all his glory, when he heard the Father’s voice boom from heaven, and stood on holy ground. Peter wants us to anchor our faith in his witness, “I saw it with my own eyes, and I want you to believe that Jesus is who he says he is.

Then Peter adds another anchor for our faith to hold onto, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable” (2 Peter 1:19). All the prophets through whom God spoke for over 1,500 years during the Old Testament period, they all pointed to Jesus. And they were right.

More sure than a life-altering experience.

More reliable than emotion.

More dependable than memory.

The Word.

For you as service members, this matters. Because life doesn’t always come with clarity. Orders can be confusing. Missions change. Trust gets broken. And when pressure is high, feelings are unreliable.

God does not ask you to stake your eternal life on how strongly you feel, how clearly you remember, or how impressive someone’s story sounds. He gives you something objective, historical, foundational and true: His Word.

Peter says this Word is “a light shining in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). Not a floodlight that answers every question. Not a crystal ball that shows the future. But a flashlight—enough light for the next step, enough truth to keep you from losing your way.

And this Word doesn’t come from human authority. Peter is clear: “No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things” (2 Peter 1:20). Scripture isn’t a personal opinion or a flexible guideline. It is God speaking: “Prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

God acts through means. He uses words, written and spoken, to deliver Christ to sinners like you. Through Scripture, God tells you what you could never discover on your own: that Jesus Christ has already fought your deepest battle, already won, and already forgiven you.

This Word tells you that your sins are not stronger than Christ’s cross. That your failures do not outrank His resurrection. That your future is not defined by deployments, a diagnose, or discharge papers—but by baptism, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life.

In a world full of noise, the Word of God does not shout. It endures. And it will still be standing when everything else fades.

So, stay with the Word. Don’t ask ChatGPT to answer your theological questions. Open your bibles. Study your catechisms. Hear the Word. Read the Word. Trust the Word. Because this is not a story, we tell ourselves. It is the sure Word by which God saves you.

Prayer:

Lord God, in the darkness of this world, keep us anchored to Your holy Word. By Your Spirit, strengthen our faith in Christ, that we may trust Your promises now and stand confident in the life to come, through Jesus Christ our Savior. 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.