But God
- fccreative
- Jun 2
- 7 min read
Overcoming Lions, Giants, and Bears with the Power of One God
David speaks straight: many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers out of them all. The refrain but God stands as the hinge of Psalm 34, turning the sentence of a hard life into the sentence of a delivered life. Deuteronomy 6:23 fills that hinge with movement, since God brings out to bring in. Affliction presses, but promise pulls. The enemy cannot cancel promise, so he tries to exhaust the saints into dropping it. Galatians 6:9 keeps the church on its feet. Hebrews 12:1 lightens the load, and the road gets steady when baggage gets thrown off. The chorus says, ease on down the road, and the text agrees.
Samson makes a wrong turn toward Timnah, and God reroutes him. Judges 14 shows the Spirit meeting him in a mess, not after it. The lion roars, but first Peter names the roar as the weapon. The lion is loud, not largest. The devil majors in mouth. The Spirit trains the saints to go for the mouth, to shut down lies with obedient living and loud praise. Then verse 8 hands out honey. Out of the eater came something to eat. Sweetness sits where fear stood. What was supposed to devour now feeds.
Giants look big, but Numbers 13 exposes the real fight as the grasshopper lie. The people call themselves small, and that confession cages them. David runs the other direction. He comes not in sticks and stones, but in the name of the Lord. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and when giants fall, other chains shake loose. The fight is not body mass, it is bold faith.
Daniel’s bear lumbers through the timeline, a political beast that devours and then gets devoured. Psalm 146 forbids trust in princes. Psalm 20 re-centers trust in the name of the Lord. Jesus is not a donkey or an elephant. He is the Lamb with everlasting dominion. To force the Lamb to eat like a bear is to miss his throne. His kingdom outlasts cycles and outruns headlines.
God then authors the sentence with the right conjunction. He is the God of and, able to do this and that. He blesses in the city and in the field, restores the soul and supplies the need. And he is the God of but, stepping into the run-on of trouble with a holy interruption. Supposed to be lost, but God finds. Supposed to be down, but God lifts. The affliction does not write the last line. But God does.
Key Takeaways
1. Problems prophesy promised deliverance.
Opposition often signals value, not vacancy. When Jericho shuts its gates, it only confesses Israel’s approach and God’s intention. Trouble is loud because promise is near, so endurance becomes participation in prophecy. Keep moving toward what already started moving toward you.
2. Shut the lion’s mouth with truth.
The loud thing is not the strongest thing. The Spirit trains believers to go after the roar, to answer lies with obedient lives, steady praise, and Scripture-fed confidence. When the mouth is silenced, fear loses its script, and sweetness appears where terror stood.
3. Giants fall to sanctified confidence.
The grasshopper story is self-sabotage, not revelation. Faith magnifies God until the problem shrinks to fit under his name, and courage becomes contagious when the big thing drops. The fall of one giant loosens a whole field of strongholds.
4. Do not feed the bear. Trust the Lamb.
Empires eat each other, then get eaten. Psalm 146 refuses trust in princes because their breath cannot hold a soul or a season. Jesus reigns without ballots, borders, or breaks, and his name steadies hearts when systems shake.
5. One God handles this and that.
False gods specialize; the living God multiplies. He brings out to bring in, forgives and heals, restores and provides, all at once. Expect holy conjunctions where lack demanded either-or, and watch a but God rewrite the sentence.
Bible Study Guide
Bible Reading
Psalm 34:17-19 (NKJV) - The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Observation Questions
What does Psalm 34:19 say about the relationship between afflictions and God’s deliverance for the righteous?
In Judges 14:5-8, how did God use Samson’s detour to Timnah for a greater purpose despite his disobedience?
According to 1 Peter 5:8, what is the primary weapon of the enemy compared to a lion, and how does this connect to the story of Samson facing the lion?
How did the Israelites’ self-described identity as “grasshoppers” in Numbers 13:33 impact their ability to face giants?
Interpretation Questions
Why might the enemy focus on using lies and intimidation (like a lion’s roar) rather than physical power to attack believers? What does this reveal about his limitations?
Samson found honey in the lion’s carcass after defeating it. What does this symbolize about God’s ability to turn what was meant to harm us into something good?
The Israelites’ confession of being “grasshoppers” kept them from entering the Promised Land. How does our self-perception influence our capacity to overcome challenges?
Psalm 146:3 warns against trusting in human leaders. How does this contrast with the description of Jesus as the “Lamb with everlasting dominion” in Daniel 7?
Application Questions
What “lion’s roar” (fear, lie, or intimidation) have you been facing lately? How can you actively silence it through Scripture, obedience, or praise this week?
Samson’s story shows God rerouting mistakes for good. Is there a past decision or detour in your life where you need to trust God’s ability to redeem it? What step can you take to release control over that situation?
The Israelites’ “grasshopper mentality” paralyzed them. What area of your life do you feel “small” in right now? How can you intentionally magnify God’s power over that struggle today?
Political systems and leaders often shift, but Jesus’ kingdom is eternal. How might you need to adjust your focus or priorities to trust God’s sovereignty over current events or cultural anxieties?
Psalm 34:19 emphasizes God’s “but” in our hardships. What current affliction can you declare “but God” over, and what specific promise of deliverance will you hold onto?
The sermon mentions “throwing off weights” (Hebrews 12:1). What emotional, relational, or spiritual “baggage” have you been carrying that’s slowing your progress? How can you release it this week?
Devotional
Day 1: Honey in the Lion’s Carcass
When opposition roars loudest, God prepares hidden sweetness. Samson’s story shows how God turns threats into nourishment. After defeating the lion, Samson returned to find honey in its remains—a symbol of how God repurposes what tried to destroy us. Trials that seemed lethal become sources of strength when surrendered to Him. What once roared becomes a feast. Trust that God’s timing brings unexpected sweetness from life’s fiercest battles.
“When he returned later, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went.” -(Judges 14:8-9, NKJV)
Reflection: What “lion” in your past has God transformed into nourishment? How can you actively look for His sweetness in current struggles?
Day 2: Rerouting Wrong Turns
God specializes in redirecting detours. Samson’s disobedience led him into Philistine territory, yet God used even his mistakes to fulfill a greater plan. Like a GPS recalculating after a wrong turn, God reroutes our missteps toward His purpose. His sovereignty isn’t limited by our failures. The road may twist, but His destination remains sure.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
(Romans 8:28, NKJV)
Reflection: Where have you seen God reroute a personal failure or detour? How does this change how you approach imperfect decisions today?
Day 3: You’re Not a Grasshopper
Giants lose power when we reject small thinking. The Israelites saw themselves as insects before the Anakim, but God saw conquerors. Insecurity magnifies obstacles; faith magnifies God. Your identity in Christ determines your capacity, not the size of your challenge. Stop rehearsing limitations and start declaring dominion.
“There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
(Numbers 13:33, NKJV)
Reflection: What “giant” have you been shrinking from? How would confronting it change if you saw yourself through God’s eyes instead of your insecurities?
Day 4: Bears Can’t Outlast the Lamb
Political systems rise and fall, but Christ’s kingdom stands. Daniel’s vision shows earthly powers devouring each other like beasts, yet the Lamb receives eternal dominion. No election, policy, or empire can override God’s ultimate authority. Place hope in the unshakable King, not temporary rulers.
“Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.” - (Psalm 146:3, NKJV)
Reflection: Where have you been tempted to place more hope in human systems than God’s sovereignty? How does Christ’s eternal reign reframe your perspective?
Day 5: The Conjunction That Changes Everything
“But God” interrupts despair’s narrative. David acknowledged many afflictions, then pivoted to divine deliverance. This conjunction declares God’s supremacy over every “lion,” “giant,” and “bear.” When circumstances scream defeat, “but God” whispers redemption. Your story isn’t over where trouble ends—it’s where He begins.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” -(Psalm 34:17, NKJV)
Reflection: What current struggle needs a “but God” declaration? How can you actively shift your focus from the problem to His promise today?
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