LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces – Fourth Quarter 2025 newsletter

This issue of So Help Me God, the newsletter of LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces, focuses on the goodness of our Lord in executing His will in our lives.

We can probably all think of several old sayings that compare our will to that of God — and the folly of the one compared to the other. If there ever was a universal truism, it’s the idea that no matter how carefully we plan our next steps in life, whether in the short or long term, all such plans tend to go awry.

We can sometimes — rightly— blame such affronts to our ideas on fallen-world interference or the devil’s pitfalls, but, more often, it is our plans themselves that are susceptible to being tainted by humanity’s curse and our own errant desires.

And who alone can offer good course-correction? Only our omniscient, omnipotent, loving and merciful Father. God’s plans for us are far better, holier and more profitable than anything we can come up with on our own. And His Son’s atoning work for us in His death and resurrection is the entire point.

Read Chaplain Steven Hokana’s thought-provoking words on the topic, utilizing Isaiah 55 as a textual anchor. This issue also includes a list of encouragement and reminders from Scripture about trusting God’s will in our lives.

Webpages and resources that can help individuals grow in Christ can also be found in this newsletter.

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LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces

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