Hawaii 9 – Giants in the Land

5-Day Devotional Guide: There Will Always Be Goliaths

Based on 1 Samuel 16-17 and the message that after the anointing comes the battle — and after the battle, the victory of the Lord of Hosts.

Day 1: Anointed for the Adventure

Key Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:13 – “The spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.”

Opening Reflection

David’s anointing was the start of an incredible adventure with God — but the very next chapter is a war and a giant. If you have recently been baptized or made a new commitment to Christ, do not be surprised when Satan pushes back. He will do all he can to discourage, dissuade, divert, and depress you. The Spirit’s presence in your life is not a promise of ease; it is the equipping for the battle ahead.

Prayer Focus: Thank God for the gift of His Spirit, and ask Him to steady you for whatever comes “from left field or right field” this week.

Day 2: Faithful in the Hidden Places

Key Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:34-35 – “Whenever a lion or a bear would come and carry a sheep from the flock, I would go after it and strike it down and rescue the sheep from its mouth.”

Opening Reflection

Nobody was watching when David fought the lion for one bleeding lamb. A sensible shepherd would have cut his losses — ninety-nine sheep are still a flock. But David went after the one, because the flock reflects the character of its shepherd. In the same hidden years, a teenage boy with a difficult family, a menial job, and a dangerous boss wrote, “The LORD is my shepherd.” Your hidden faithfulness today is God’s preparation for your finest hour tomorrow.

Prayer Focus: Ask God to make you faithful in the small, unseen duties of this ordinary day — and thank the Son of David, who fought for you, His lost lamb.

Day 3: You Cannot Fight in Another Man’s Armor

Key Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:39 – “David tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, ‘I cannot walk with these.'”

Opening Reflection

Saul’s armor was the best in Israel, and it was useless to David. God had trained David’s hands on a shepherd’s sling, and it was those God-given, much-practiced gifts that won the battle. God is not asking you to sing like someone else, preach like someone else, or lead like someone else. He has given you unique gifts, uniquely needed where He has placed you. Wishing for another’s armor only leaves us unable to walk.

Prayer Focus: Ask God: “What gifts have You given me?” — then commit to intentionally nurturing one of them, starting today.

Day 4: The Name Above the Battle

Key Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:45 – “You come to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts.”

Opening Reflection

Goliath had three ways to kill; David had one name — Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts. That name means a very present help when your world falls apart (Psalm 46), and the King of glory, strong and mighty in battle, who never loses the battles He fights (Psalm 24). The giants in our homes, our health, our finances, and our families can wound us in many ways. But we do not face them alone, and we do not face them in our own name.

Prayer Focus: Name your Goliath honestly before God — then be still, and know that the Lord of Hosts is with you (Psalm 46:10).

Day 5: The Covenant-Keeping God Fights for You

Key Scripture: Jeremiah 1:19 – “They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you: for I am with you, saith the LORD, to deliver you.”

Opening Reflection

David could face Goliath because the Lord of Hosts had made him promises that had not yet come true — so he knew he would walk off that battlefield alive. God invites you into that same covenant walk: choose a passage of Scripture, make it your covenant with Him, run the water of His Word through your mind daily, and build your life on His promises. God does not take us from the fight; He is with us in the fight — and He gives the victory.

Prayer Focus: Choose your covenant passage this morning. Give today’s battle into God’s hands, and refuse to fight it in your own strength. If God is before you, who can be against you?