Day 1 (PDF)

David Fought Goliath

1 Samuel 17

The name of the Lord is holy and set apart. For those who follow Christ, the name of God is one which ought to be held in high regard, above all other names. 

In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath, the giant warrior of the Philistines, showed little regard for the God of the Israelites. He mocked not only the armies of Israel, but their God as well. Though Goliath had his own gods by whom he cursed David, he did not count the God of Israel to be of any value. 

When Goliath mocked the name of the Lord by mocking David and the Israelites, the power of God was unleashed through the most unlikely of people. As the Philistines ran for their lives, they were reminded that there is more power in the youngest and weakest of God’s children than there is in the largest and strongest of the rest of the world. 

The power of God is revealed in every instance in Scripture where the name of the Lord is used. When God-fearing prophets, priests, and ordinary people call on the name of the Lord God, we see time and again the power of God put on display. 

When David encountered the giant, he said, “I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel” (1 Sam. 17:45). David knew the power of God’s name. And once again, God proved to be unwilling to be mocked, and unshakable in power. 

The power of the name of God is seen most notably in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9-11, “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow ... and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

Jesus guarded God’s name in that even though He was tempted in every way, He was without sin. Jesus demonstrated the power of God’s name through His death, burial, and resurrection. That power will never fail or be defeated, and that power is yours in Christ.


Power Punch!

David reminds us of Jesus. Jesus came to save us from our biggest enemies: sin and evil. Jesus is the hero who saves us so we can live with Him forever.

Day 2 (PDF)

Esther Saved Her People

Book of Esther

The book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God by name. We are invited to see how God acts through the story in more subtle ways. When we do, we can easily see God’s presence through each page of Esther’s story. 

The events in the Book of Esther took place about 100 years after the Jews returned from their Babylonian exile. Though the Jews were free to return home, their enemies were plentiful. God situated Esther and her cousin Mordecai in strategic positions to be able to rescue their people from annihilation. Consider the following ways God used Esther to accomplish this plan. 

Esther listened. It was no coincidence that Mordecai overheard Haman’s plan. Mordecai relayed the news to Esther, and she was willing to do something about it. As the queen of Persia, Esther was in a position of influence over the king. She was one of the few people who was able to do something to stop Haman’s wicked plan. 

Esther prayed. Esther was aware of the danger before her. She asked Mordecai and the Jews to join her in petitioning the Lord for salvation. Apart from God’s blessing, she didn’t stand a chance against Haman’s plan. If she was to succeed in preserving her people, it would be by the hand of God alone. 

Esther obeyed. To go before the king meant she was trusting God with her life. Considering his often irrational response to those who displeased him, it took great courage for Esther to enter his presence without being summoned. Yet for the sake of her people, she was willing to risk her life. She pled for mercy on behalf of the Jews. 

At first glance it may seem like everything was spinning out of control for God’s people. In reality, God was in control over Haman’s evil plan to destroy the Jews. God had placed Esther in a position to be able to help her people and plead with the king to have mercy on them. Haman’s wicked plan was uncovered, and the Jews were saved. 

Though the Jews faced dark times, God had not deserted them. We will undoubtedly face trials of our own, but no matter how bad things get, we can have confidence in God’s love for us.


Power Punch!

Esther reminds us of Jesus. She was willing to do whatever it took - even lose her life - to save her people. Like Haman, Satan wants to ruin God’s plan and destroy believers. Satan thought he had won when Jesus died on the cross, but God raised Jesus from the dead and defeated Satan once and for all. All who believe in Jesus are rescued from sin and death.

Day 3 (PDF)

Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20

Paul was in prison when he wrote his letter to the believers at the church in Ephesus. Paul knew firsthand that the life of a believer is a battle—an ongoing fight. But Paul didn’t see life as a fight against the Romans, those who had thrown him in prison, or those who opposed the gospel. The battle is against evil. 

At the conclusion of his letter, Paul used a Roman soldier’s armor as a picture of how we are to prepare ourselves to fight the battle against evil. Believers are to carry God’s truth, righteousness, and peace wherever we go. Likewise, we are to hold fast to our faith, salvation, and the Word of God. When we are fully protected by this armor of God, we are ready for any battle. 

In addition to wearing the armor of God, Paul called on believers to pray at all times. Paul wanted to remind believers that even with the armor of God, we still need to rely on God to protect us and to win the fight against evil. 

Truth be told, I don’t like any type of conflict—physical or otherwise. So when I approach this passage from Ephesians 6 about the armor of God, it’s usually with mixed emotions. On one hand, to put on armor assumes there will be conflict—a battle or, even worse, an all-out war. The apostle Paul actually makes it very clear: we are in an ongoing spiritual struggle with the powers of darkness in this world. We have an enemy, and he is out to destroy us—not just physically, but spiritually, mentally, and emotionally too (1Peter 5:8). This is a weighty truth that validates what we so often feel: life can be painful and terribly difficult. But this is not the end of the story. This same passage that defines in harrowing terms the reality of the war against us goes on to remind us that we never fight alone. As followers of Jesus Christ, our strength comes not from ourselves but from the God who has already secured our victory. There is no need to craft our own weapons or create our own armor—those are not the instructions Paul gives. Instead, he implores us to “put on” the armor of God already given to us and “take up” the weapons of faith that have already and eternally defeated our enemy (Ephesians 6:11,13). The battle is actually a victory march led by Jesus, our Victor. 

Today, show your kids all that God has given them to help them fight against evil. Emphasize that God never intends for us to fight in our own power. We are to rely on His power.


Power Punch!

The battle we’re in is real, but our Savior has already won the war! Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Take up God’s armor, and stand.