But God: Lions, Giants & Bears — Kesean Joseph

Jun 02, 2026

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. [15:21]

“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. [11:50]

“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. [19:01]

“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. [24:35]

“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. [32:02]

“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?

Sermon Summary

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. [06:06]
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. [13:25]
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. [20:02]
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. [25:29]
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. [28:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:14] - Bible Declaration
[02:40] - Series Setup and Psalm 34
[03:08] - Many Afflictions, But God
[04:00] - The Wiz Road Metaphor
[05:02] - Problems Are a Prophecy
[06:57] - Out Of And Into Deliverance
[09:33] - Lay Aside Weights, Ease On Down
[10:31] - Samson’s Detour, God’s Reroute
[12:33] - Shut the Lion’s Mouth
[15:21] - Honey In The Carcass
[17:19] - Giants and the Grasshopper Lie
[20:02] - The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall
[21:47] - Daniel’s Bear and the Lamb’s Kingdom
[31:31] - The God of And and But

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? [10:31]
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? [13:25]
How did the Israelites’ self-described identity as “grasshoppers” in Numbers 13:33 impact their ability to face giants? [17:19]

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? [13:25]
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? [15:21]
The Israelites’ confession of being “grasshoppers” kept them from entering the Promised Land. How does our self-perception influence our capacity to overcome challenges? [19:01]
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? [25:29]

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? [14:20]
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? [20:02]
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? [24:35]
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? [09:33]

Sermon Clips

37s

#SmallButMightyFaith

“I don't need big stature to defeat a giant. I just need big faith. You just need the confidence to fight a giant. Yes. They are big, but your God is bigger. And all you've got to do is start magnifying God like we were doing a few minutes ago. Just start exalting and magnifying God. And the bigger you make God, the smaller your problem will seem. I learned something when I was studying for this message that some of the best boxers, brother Jesse, some of the best boxers and most powerful boxers are actually smaller men. Floyd Mayweather is smaller than me. Mike Tyson is a smaller man. He's about five ten. Rocky Marciano. I had to say Rocky because of pastor Frank. I know. I know.”

25s

#BewareTheRoar

“Lions are not even the strongest animal in the jungle. But here's the thing, lions are probably the loudest in the jungle. The lion's greatest asset is the lion's mouth. That is why in first Peter five and eight, when he talks about the devil, he says the devil prowls about like a roaring lion. The emphasis is on his roar. The worst part of the lion is his mouth, and the worst part of Satan is his mouth. The thing with the devil is he just don't know how to shut up.”

70s

#ProblemsProphesyPromise

“Problems are a prophecy. Now that sounds funny. That sounds strange to say, but they are. Problems are prophecy. How so? Whenever you're dealing with opposition, when the enemy is fighting you tooth and nail and throwing everything at you, that lets you know that you've got something worth having. You've got value, and you've got something on the inside of you that the devil do to to that. we're lives. to we're Bible says, they shut up the city of Jericho and locked it down and started acting crazy because they knew that if they will come in their way, that it was going to be a victory for them. And I want you to know if you feel like you're facing opposition, facing a brick wall, feel like things have shut down on you and locked down on you is because the devil knows you're coming, and you're coming with power, and you're coming with authority. Every problem is a prophecy.”

36s

#GodWillRerouteYou

“and you go the wrong way, and then the voice change. You know you go the wrong way because the voice on the GPS changes, and it say, woah. From being a lady to a man, you're like, wait. Wait a minute. But then it'll say on the screen, it'll say rerouting. And what that means is now I'm taking you even though you made a wrong turn. I'm a figure out a way to get you back on the path and still get you to your destination. Hallelujah. knows how to reroute you. I don't care how messed up you've been. I don't care how many mistakes you are. God is a master. He knows how to turn your bad turns and your wrong turns and still get you to the destination and get you where you got to go.”

45s

#GodOfEveryAnd

“and if or but. And one thing I love about God, he knows just what conjunction we need at the right time. He's a good author, and he knows what word we need at the right time. He knows when to use if. Hallelujah. As if as in if God be for us, who can be against us? Glory to god. He knows when to use and and we know that all things work together for good to them that love god and have a call according to this purpose. He's a god of end. You see, the false gods can only do one thing forever, but our god can do one thing and another. Our god can bless you going out and bless you coming in. Glory to god. Whoo. I feel the holy god. He can bless you in the city, and he can bless you in the field. He can forgive your sin and heal all your diseases.”

49s

#ShutTheDevilsMouth

“The devil just never stops talking. So the main way to defeat the enemy is to shut his mouth. Peter told us when he told us to be sober and vigilant, he wasn't telling us just to lay there to be lying prey because he was coming around to devour you. He's trying to teach you how to deal with that lion. God sent his spirit to help you to fight that lion, and Samson showed us how to deal with the lion. He went straight for his mouth. And once he had done that, the Bible says, he tore him apart as one tears a goat. I wanna declare over you this morning storm. Midst the We're but he ain't gonna be lying of no more. Glory to God. You got the power to shut them lies up. Don't let that lion lie to you no more.”

32s

#FatherOfLiesExpose

“I wish I had a witness this morning. He he can't kill you. He can't harm you if you're in Christ. He but he will lie to you and try to get in your head and get you to believe it. He just keeps talking and talking and talking. That's why Jesus calls him the father. He says he's a liar and the father of lies because most liars don't ever stop talking. Don't look around the room. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. I can always tell somebody lying because they always gotta answer for someone, always got something to say, and you never stop talking. You know everybody and everything all the time, you're lying.”

32s

#LionNotInvincible

“A lion comes, and the lion comes roaring at him. But the Bible says something powerful happens. The spirit of God comes on Samson, and he takes that lion and begins to rip the lion apart, and he begins to overcome that lion. Now here's the thing, lions are a peculiar type of animal. And the reason why I said that because really and truly, if you watch Animal Planet, you know that lions are really like an overrated predator. Yeah. He's a king of the jungle, but why? Because here's the truth. Lions are not the biggest animal in the jungle. Lions are not the fastest animal in the jungle.”

41s

#DropYourBaggage

“that might be a load. Come on and ease on down the road. The reason why I'm there to say don't carry anything that might be a load is because you might have problems along your journey and hardships, and sometimes you'll get tempted to get into your feelings. You'll be tempted to carry baggage from one place to the next or be so tied up in the weight of what's going on in your own issues. You can get weighed down and carrying problems, but when you're carrying problems from one place to the next, it will keep you from going forward. It will tie up your hands and weigh you down. But I need you to understand this morning, you can't give up right now because you've got a full journey ahead of you. You've got blessings all along the way. You cannot be tied down, weighed down, or distracted.”

48s

#ButGodChangesEverything

“Amen. Supposed to be confused, but God is Jehovah Shalom, the God of your peace. Supposed to be broken, but God held you together. And so you're not gonna lose your mind. You're not gonna go great. But God. But God. But God. But God. God. But But God. And when you use that term, that conjunction, in particular, when you put but in a sentence, whatever follows it is gonna make the difference. And sometime, if you're depending on what's going on, you could say, but in this person and that person or some you could use it as a negative sense. But when you put God in the middle of the sentence, it changes everything before it. And I want you to know God is in the midst of whatever you're going through. He's with you, and you're not gonna walk in defeat.”

43s

#GuardYourCovenant

“But the problem is that God told him, you cannot marry people outside of the Israelite race. You cannot marry other nations. Now he did that not because of racism, but God forbade them from marrying other races outside of Israel Israelites, excuse me, out of the Israelite religion because their gods would cause you to follow other gods. Amen. And so God said, I don't want you to follow what they have. Now they get converted and they get saved, you can marry who you want. Praise the lord, but you cannot marry other nations. Now the problem was that Samson, though he was a bad boy, and so he decided, I wanna be with this girl, and the more they told him, Samson, you can't do that, the more you know how you acting, you know how you are, the more he want to be with her. And the Bible says the crazy thing is that God allows him to do it.”

29s

#SavedNotExempt

“Nobody in this room as good as you look and as wonderful as you look this morning and you do look great, nobody in this room has had an easy life or a life without challenges. We have all faced our own struggles, and being saved does not exempt you from trouble. I don't know who told you that getting saved meant you would do”

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But God: Lions, Giants & Bears — Kesean Joseph

Devotional

Day 1: Honey in the Lion’s Carcass

Day 2: Rerouting Wrong Turns

Day 3: You’re Not a Grasshopper

Day 4: Bears Can’t Outlast the Lamb

Day 5: The Conjunction That Changes Everything

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

But God: Lions, Giants & Bears — Kesean Joseph

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