Shield of Faith: 365 Daily Devotions for Military Families

By Susanne Stalnecker

Be strong and courageous.


Military life can be unpredictable and messy. With changing schedules and interrupted routines, it is difficult for families to stay connected and grow together spiritually.

Shield of Faith is a 365-day devotional designed to support and strengthen every member of your military family. Through a daily Bible verse, inspirational devotion, and encouraging prayer, your family will

- embark on a journey of exploring God's faithfulness,
- find strength in God's presence to face life's uncertainties,
- embrace God's purpose and calling, and
- grow together in unity and love.Equip yourselves with the shield of faith and achieve victory in life's trials no matter where God takes you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781424563999

Book preview

January

NEW BEGINNINGS

JANUARY 1

I WILL DO A NEW THING

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

ISAIAH 43:19 KJV

The start of a new year has always brought me nervousness, doubt, and fear of the unknown. Several years ago, however, I came across this verse, and it shed new light on how I view January 1. God promised the Israelites that he would continue to deliver them from oppression. The miracles he had performed for them in the past were nothing compared to what he would do for them in the future. As you look to a new year and all the things it holds for your family, there are so many unknowns but also so many knowns. Realize that God will continue to provide for you. He will continue to make a way for you, and this new thing in front of you will unfold in such a way that you can look back at the end of the year amazed at how God once again made rivers in places you thought could never see water.

Dear God, thank you for a new year filled with promise and hope. Thank you for past miracles that fill me with excitement for the new things you’ll do.

JANUARY 2

I AM FAITHFUL AND TRUE

O Lord, thou art my God;

I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name;

for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

ISAIAH 25:1 KJV

I have never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I always told myself that if I make a resolution, I will most likely not be able to keep it. The fear of failure, the unknown, and letting others down kept me from making goals for the new year for a very long time. Maybe you’re looking at this new year with some hesitation about making goals for yourself and your family. Maybe you are afraid of failing or disappointing those around you. Maybe you’re looking at this as an all or nothing situation. The Bible gives us such a great reminder here that God is faithful. He has already done so many wonderful things in our lives that can give us hope for the future. Yes, there are natural consequences for not keeping a goal we set for ourselves—discouragement, disappointment, and setback. But God will respond with help when you ask, and those consequences don’t have to consume you. You can rejoice in a new day and a new opportunity to trust in God’s faithfulness.

Dear God, thank you for your unfailing compassion and your great faithfulness. Please help me not to be consumed by my shortcomings and to trust in you.

JANUARY 3

I HAVE GOOD PLANS FOR YOU

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD,

plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

JEREMIAH 29:11 ESV

One of the things that makes military families so special is their understanding of leadership. You have probably experienced good and bad leaders. But the leaders whom you want to follow are the ones who encourage you to move ahead, believe you can do your assigned job, and see you through all of it. God is that kind of leader—the kind who makes you want to follow him. He knows your future, and his plans for you are good and full of hope. The key is making him part of your goals and asking him to direct you as you move ahead. He already believes you can do it, and he already promises to go with you. Your part is to align your agenda for your life with his and make his plans yours. Your future can be bright and full of hope.

Dear God, thank you that you have a plan for my life. Thank you for the hope I can have because your plan for me is good. Please help me seek you and make your agenda the one I follow.

JANUARY 4

I WILL BLESS YOU

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

PSALM 1:1–2 ESV

You might have heard the phrase the best-laid plans before. It often describes a situation in which the ability to execute a plan is uncertain. You have probably made plans before that have not turned out exactly as you hoped. Most of the time, it’s difficult to make plans too far into the future because needs outside of your control dictate so much of your life. But the Bible is very clear on some things you can do to have certainty in your life. The blessed person is someone who has joy in God’s Word and who meditates—thinks all the time—about what it says. The blessed person refuses to listen to those who ridicule or discredit God and his Word. Therefore, the blessed person can lay out a certain plan for life.

Dear God, thank you for your blessings. Thank you for your Word and for showing us how to live. Please help me meditate on your Word and have the right people around me, encouraging me to live by it.

JANUARY 5

YOU CAN TRUST ME

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

PROVERBS 3:5–6 KJV

The new year often brings change and maybe some important decisions you need to make for your family. In the process of making those decisions, it might feel like you can’t trust anyone and like no one has your best interest in mind. But God can have your trust because he knows what’s best for you. He sees the bigger picture and knows what is good for you even better than you do. Leaning on your own understanding gives the idea that you are relying on yourself more than you rely on God and trusting your ideas more than you trust his. Be intentional in bringing your decisions to God in prayer, using the Bible as your guide, and following his leading. This shows that you acknowledge him and his ways and that you are completely trusting that he will lead in the direction that is for your good.

Dear God, thank you that I can trust you, knowing that you have my good in mind. Please help me rely on you more than I rely on myself and acknowledge you in all my ways, seeking you in my decision-making.

JANUARY 6

I WILL GIVE YOU ABUNDANT STRENGTH

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river.

JEREMIAH 17:7–8 KJV

Does it ever seem like you have just enough strength for what’s in front of you? Do you ever feel anxious that if a crisis were to happen, you might not survive it? The truths in these verses from Jeremiah are encouraging because of the promise given. Those who trust God and hope in him will receive the blessing of strength. Like a tree planted by the water, where even the sun or heat cannot affect its growth or ability to flourish, your roots planted in trust and hope in God can spread wide, giving you abundant strength to survive any crisis. The word abundant implies more than enough, so when you are blessed in this way, your family will be strengthened, and you will be able to uphold those around you.

Dear God, thank you for your promises. Thank you that I can put my hope in you for abundant strength to survive daily life and any crisis that might come my way. Please help me put my full trust and hope in you alone.

JANUARY 7

I WILL RENEW YOUR STRENGTH

They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

ISAIAH 40:31 KJV

Can you imagine running without getting tired and walking a long distance without feeling the need to stop? Life often feels like a race that will never end or a long-distance run that seems to go on forever. Sometimes all we need is a little break or some refreshment and renewal. Waiting on the Lord can be just that for you. It’s just allowing his strength to renew you by staying focused on him. When you feel like you can’t take another step, you can ask God to renew your strength. Having a regular time with God and being in his Word can be your daily renewal and just what you need to continue moving forward in your life. You can experience running without getting tired by allowing God’s strength to be the source of your strength.

Dear God, thank you for your promise of renewed strength. Thank you for the refreshment I can find in your Word. Please help me stay focused on you, drawing from your strength when I feel I can’t take another step.

JANUARY 8

YOUR PAST DOES NOT DEFINE YOU

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in

Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 3:13–14 ESV

In these verses, we get a glimpse of the apostle Paul’s life and the feelings of regret he must have had about his past. He was personally responsible for the persecution of the church in Jerusalem, putting believers into prison, and he was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54–60). In spite of the events of his past, he became a great missionary who wrote most of the New Testament. He says the one thing he did was forget those things in his past and move forward because of his hope in Christ. Maybe you can relate to Paul. You have things in your past you’re not proud of, and those things can keep you from accomplishing anything meaningful—but only if you dwell on them. You can move forward in a meaningful way because of your relationship with Christ. Your future doesn’t have to be defined by your past.

Dear God, thank you for people like the apostle Paul who have given us an example of moving forward. Thank you that I don’t have to live in regret.

JANUARY 9

I WILL GIVE YOU PEACE

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 ESV

This unpredictable world in which we live makes it very difficult not to be anxious or worried about things. Added to the everyday stress of life, military families have their own unique struggles—deployments, moves, kids changing schools, making new friends constantly, and much more. It’s really easy to become overwhelmed or discouraged when your life seems to always be in transition. But you can have such comfort and peace by bringing your praise, pleadings, and requests to God. You don’t have to live in fear or with anxiety about what’s to come for your family because trusting God with a heart of thanksgiving despite life’s unpredictability will help you move forward in unity with one another through times of transition and uncertainty.

Dear God, thank you for the peace and comfort I can have by simply praying to you. Thank you for always watching over us and for being a God we can trust. Please help our family be unified by thankful hearts and please take away any anxious thoughts or feelings about our current situation.

JANUARY 10

I WILL UPHOLD YOU

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:

And he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:

For the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

PSALM 37:23–24 KJV

A good person, as spoken of in these verses, is someone who follows God, trusts him, and tries to do his will. It’s so easy during the first month of the year to set out to be this kind of person. You’ve made plans to read your Bible, pray every day, go to church, and maybe even join a church small group. But as soon as you miss a day doing any of these things, it becomes easier not to do it the next time and so on. These verses in Psalm 37 are a great reminder that God delights in the person who is allowing his or her steps to be ordered by him—and this is the case even when you get off track. God promises that you won’t be cast down because he will uphold you and continue to strengthen you as you get back on track with allowing him to order your steps.

Dear God, thank you for your promises. Thank you for upholding me even when I get sidetracked. Please help me to be focused on you and on being the person you have called me to be.

JANUARY 11

I WILL CONQUER EVIL

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 JOHN 4:4 KJV

In a world where evil seems to thrive, it often feels like evil is much stronger than we are. Most of those who have served in the military know what evil looks like and, many times, have had a personal experience facing it. It also doesn’t take much time looking at society to recognize the prevalence of evil and the catastrophic stronghold it can take on a family. You can be assured, however, that God is much stronger, and he will conquer all evil. His Spirit and his Word live in you and enable you to live in this evil world with the ability to overcome the evil and its perceived strength. You don’t have to be frightened by the wickedness around you or overwhelmed by the problems you face. With God as your source of strength, you can stand against all evil.

Dear God, thank you for your strength and greatness. Thank you for being my source of strength through your Spirit and your Word. Please help me rely on you and find my strength in you to conquer the evil in my life.

JANUARY 12

I AM YOUR STRENGTH AND SHIELD

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

PSALM 28:7 KJV

Most people understand that there are some very basic tools available to those fighting a battle. Depending on your position or specific job in the military, the tools you use will vary. But the point is that everyone has tools specifically designed for the battle they are facing. The victory in battle is often dependent on how effectively you use those tools and, especially, on the trust the user can place in those tools. In the spiritual battle around us, God is our strength and shield—our defense against the enemy and those things that would harm us. He will give you the tools you need to fight the battles you face every day—mental, emotional, or even physical. If you place your trust in him and allow him to be your help, you can rejoice in the victory of a spiritual battle won against the enemy.

Dear God, thank you for being my defender and giving me the tools to fight the battles in my life. Please help me trust in you for help so that I can have joy in the victories of battles won.

JANUARY 13

YOU DON’T HAVE TO FEAR

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear.

PSALM 46:1–2 ESV

The fears we have in life as a result of terrible things happening in our world preoccupy the minds of many people today. You might find yourself in a place of fear due to the unknowns for your family or your career. In the first few verses of Psalm 46, the psalmist says that even if the world comes to an end and even in the face of total destruction, you don’t need to fear. The psalmist expresses quiet confidence in the ability of God to help him, calling God a very present help in trouble. That means he is confident that God is always there, ready to help. He is your refuge, the place where you can turn for shelter from harm. So you don’t have to fear the unknown or whatever may be happening in our world because God can provide strength in any circumstance.

Dear God, thank you for being the refuge to which I can run when I am afraid. Thank you for providing strength when I am afraid and don’t know what to do. Please help me not to fear and instead to turn to you for help.

JANUARY 14

MY NAME SHOULD BE GLORIFIED

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

1 CHRONICLES 16:10 ESV

Praise and thanksgiving should be part of our regular routine. We should all be expressing thanks to those closest to us—our family members, friends, mentors, and pastors. It should just be something we are all used to making a daily part of our lives to be sure those people know we are not taking them for granted and that we appreciate all they do for us. Looking back at your life, you can probably recognize how God has blessed you and the many areas in your life where he has done a great work. When you make praising and thanking God a regular part of your routine, it will help you not take those blessings for granted. By not only making this part of your prayer life but also telling others about it and giving of your time and resources, you will get into the habit of fully expressing glory to God. This will be the overflow of the joy in your heart because of what God has done for you.

Dear God, thank you for the ways you have blessed and worked in my life. Please help me be in the daily habit of rejoicing in what you have done for me.

JANUARY 15

MY STRENGTH WILL SUSTAIN YOU

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 ESV

In Philippians 4:10–14, Paul talks about contentment in life’s situations. While imprisoned in Rome, he writes this letter to the Philippian church and for the sake of all believers. Even in Paul’s difficult situation, he could find contentment because he could draw from God as his source of strength and see life from God’s perspective. Where are you finding contentment? It’s so easy to get distracted by the things of life—work, chores, activities, and so on—that we forget our priorities and forget to be content with those things God has placed in our lives. If you are struggling to be content with your situation, you can learn, just like Paul did, to have a different perspective, shift your priorities to reflect the truly important things in life, and be sustained by the strength given to you through Christ. Often what seems like it might be the most difficult thing to get past or change in your life is the very thing you need to ask God to give you strength to sustain you through.

Dear God, thank you for sustaining me through your strength. Please help me see life from your perspective and have my priorities in the right place.

JANUARY 16

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE MOVED

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence;

I shall not be moved.

PSALM 62:6 KJV

What are some things you have encountered that have caused you to be moved from your position? Are there some areas in your life where you need to allow God to be your refuge, your defense? In this psalm, we can see David moving through a trial in his life as his son Absalom has rebelled. He is pouring out his frustration, and then he comes to a place of reminding himself that he doesn’t have to be moved or shaken from the position of placing his trust in God. Clearly, he has absolute confidence in God to save him and be his strength during this time. You can have the same confidence as David did when circumstances threaten to move you from the position of trusting that God is there for you. God’s Word is true; he is good, and he is your rock, salvation, and defense. You don’t have to be moved from having this confidence.

Dear God, thank you for being my defense, my rock, my salvation. Thank you that I can have the confidence that you are there for me and will keep me from being moved from my position of trusting in you.

JANUARY 17

I AM THE ANCHOR OF YOUR SOUL

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

HEBREWS 6:19 ESV

If you have ever been on a ship or have any nautical knowledge, you know the purpose of an anchor. It’s to keep a ship or boat secure when the waters are turbulent or when the vessel pulls into a port or dock. We, as believers, also have an anchor to keep us secure—the hope we can have in Jesus Christ. We can be certain of this hope because God keeps his promises. He fulfilled his promise of blessing to Abraham by ultimately sending his Son, Jesus Christ, who is an anchor for our souls to keep us at rest. We now have access to a place that was never accessible before—the inner place behind the curtain. This refers to the holy of holies, which, in the past, only the high priest could access under specific circumstances and by following many regulations. Because Jesus now acts as our High Priest, we have the hope needed to boldly enter God’s presence. This is the anchor of your soul that keeps you steadfast and secure no matter what life brings your way.

Dear God, thank you for evidence of the fulfillment of your promises through the person of Jesus Christ. Thank you for the confidence and rest we have in the hope found in you.

JANUARY 18

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 KJV

Have you ever asked God to remove something from your life that was either a difficult circumstance, a health issue, or some other affliction? The apostle Paul here in 2 Corinthians has asked God to remove something from his life. We don’t know what it was, but we do know that God didn’t remove it from his life. Sometimes when God doesn’t answer our prayers the way that we think he should, we take it as a bad thing. Maybe when God chooses not to remove something from our lives that we wish he would, we should look at it as an opportunity to draw closer to him and allow others to see him at work in our lives. Just as God promised to demonstrate his power in Paul’s life through a perceived weakness, he will do the same for you. What you perceive as a weakness is simply an opportunity for growth and an avenue for God to display his glory. When you admit that it’s only by God’s grace that you’ll make it through whatever it is you’re facing, you are affirming his strength made evident by your weakness.

Dear God, thank you for your sufficient grace that helps me endure trials and the things in my life that I look at as weaknesses. Please help me to display your strength and power in my life and to truly rely on you.

JANUARY 19

I WILL BE AT YOUR SIDE

I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

PSALM 16:8 ESV

There is such a unique sense of security that we can feel when we place our confidence in God’s plan for our lives. When all around you it seems that people are experiencing pain, trouble, hopelessness, and confusion about their purpose in life, you can move forward confidently if you seek God. This verse says, "I have set the LORD always before me," meaning he needs to be the one we are looking to for direction and purpose. Consistently setting ourselves before the Lord will keep us from searching for confidence and hope in other places. He will be there with us, setting the course for us so that we don’t have to be shaken from the path he has set for our lives. You don’t have to be shaken by hopelessness and confusion like those around you because you have at your right hand the only one who can keep you steadfast and sure.

Dear God, thank you that you have a plan for my life. Thank you for being at my side and walking with me. Please help me to be focused on you and not to be moved from your plan for me.

JANUARY 20

I CARE FOR YOU

The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

NAHUM 1:7 KJV

Do you ever doubt God’s goodness to you? Maybe you’ve experienced something in your life or family that makes you wonder if God truly has your best interest in mind—news of yet another deployment, an impending move, or the strain put on your relationships by any of these situations. Verses like this one in Nahum can be such an encouragement during times like this. They remind us that God is good. When we look back at the ways he has already provided for us, answered prayers, and shown himself to be real, we can see the evidence of his goodness. The prophet describes God as a strong hold in the day of trouble. He is the one