Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Everyday Hallelujah by Phil Wickham.
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David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
Every soldier in Saul’s camp had heard the roar of Goliath’s challenge, but it was only the boy shepherd who stepped up. Can you imagine how David must have felt standing in that valley with his heart pounding as he readied himself to face a giant? All while the entire army of the most seasoned warriors in Israel trembled on one side of the hill and the giant stood mocking them from the other. What strikes me most about this story is not David’s lack of fear but his confidence in God. He was young and inexperienced in battle, but he was steady because he knew where his strength came from. His courage was not rooted in self-assurance but in the unshakable truth that God was faithful.
The story of David facing Goliath reminds us that worship is not always a song we sing when life is going our way and everything feels safe. Sometimes we worship while our hands tremble and our voices shake.
Worship is moving forward in faith even when fear whispers that we are unqualified; it’s when we act on what we believe about God’s power rather than what we feel about our own ability. When David told Saul that he would fight the giant, he wasn’t denying the danger in front of him; he was proclaiming his trust that God was greater than anything he would encounter.
I have faced some seasons when I felt small and ill-equipped before the giants in my own life. There have been times when the road ahead felt impossible and my heart wavered between faith and fear. When I think about those moments, I realize that worship was often the bridge between the two. Choosing to worship in the shadow of giants is an act of faith that declares our trust in the Living God.
This reminds me of my friend Pastor Benji and his wife, Jen. Their story is one of the most vivid pictures of faith I have ever witnessed. They felt a clear calling from God to adopt two children from Malawi. The process stretched over a year and a half. They prayed, filled out endless paperwork, and faced setback after setback. It was as if a giant stood between them and what God had called them to do.
Most families would have given up, but they chose to step forward because they believed that if God had called them, He would make a way. Eventually, they packed up their four children, rented a small home in Malawi, and moved across the world to bring their new children home.
Their journey was far from easy. There were days when they stood in crowded government offices surrounded by hundreds of people, trying to push their way to the right gate before it closed. They dealt with bureaucracy, health issues, and moments when the dream seemed to crumble. At one point Jen became seriously ill with a rare disease that affected her eyesight. The giant of uncertainty loomed large over them, but they continued to believe that God would finish what He had started.
When I asked Benji what kept them going through those trials, he said something I will never forget: “We just knew who God was. We knew He had called us to this, so we trusted Him to provide.” Their faith was anchored in the same truth that gave David courage—that God is faithful to rescue and sustain those who trust Him.
That family’s story is a living example of worship. Every step they took was an act of worship, affirming that trust in God was greater than their fear of the giant before them. And just like David, they discovered that God equips those who step forward in obedience. Today their home is filled with laughter, and their family has become a testimony of God’s miraculous provision.
We all have giants in our path: fear, insecurity, financial uncertainty, illness, or loss. Maybe you are looking into the eyes of some giants today as you read this. When you hear the deceptive voice of the Enemy saying you are not enough, I pray that you will remember the truth that you don’t have to be.
You were not meant to fight these battles with your own strength because God fights for you. Just like David did, we are all called to take off the armor that doesn’t fit; cast off expectations, comparisons, and false confidence; and step forward clothed in faith.
When we worship in the middle of fear, we shift our hearts from the size of the problem to the greatness of the One who stands beside us.
Take a minute today to meditate on what David said before facing Goliath:
You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty. — 1 Samuel 17:45
His proclamation isn’t just ancient history; it’s the heartbeat of every worshipper who chooses faith over fear. When we face life’s giants, we can echo David’s words in our own way. “You come against me with anxiety and exhaustion, with layoffs and cancer diagnoses, with heartbreak and disappointments, but I come against you in the name of the Lord.” To worship God in the shadow of giants isn’t denial of reality; it’s a declaration of divine authority. Every time we lift our eyes to Him in the middle of trouble and every time we keep singing through uncertainty, we worship Him.
Confidence in God is the quiet strength that keeps us moving when everything around us tells us to stop. It’s the kind of faith that steps forward with trembling hands and says,
The Lord will deliver. — v. 46
That kind of worship echoes through eternity because it reflects the heart of God. He’s not looking for perfect people; He’s looking for hearts that trust Him completely.
Whatever Goliath is in your life today, remember David’s story. Remember that God does not require you to be fearless. He simply calls you to be faithful. Every giant we face is an opportunity to glorify God. That’s what it means to embrace an everyday hallelujah, to trust God’s power and stand confident in His love, no matter how small you feel.
So today, let’s take off the armor that doesn’t fit and lift our eyes to the One who has already won the battle.
Reflect on Worship
What are some giants in your life that make you feel unqualified or afraid?
How can you remind yourself of God’s past faithfulness when facing new challenges?
What does it mean for you to take off the armor that doesn’t fit and trust God fully?
Everyday Hallelujah Challenge
Find one area of fear or uncertainty in your life and bring it before God in worship. Speak aloud a prayer of confidence, declaring that the battle belongs to Him. Then write down one way you see His faithfulness at work as you practice trusting Him.
Excerpted with permission from Everyday Hallelujah by Phil Wickham, copyright Philip Wickham.
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Your Turn
What giant are you facing? Whatever it is, remember that the Lord is so much bigger! Let’s stop and worship today and walk forward in confidence in the Lord because the battle is already His. ~ Devotionals Daily