In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy DaySample

WHAT IS A LION CHASER?

Buried in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel is one of the most inconceivable and inspirational incidents in Scripture. “Benaiahson of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He … went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion” (2 Samuel 23:20 NIV).

Finding yourself in a pit with a lion on a snowy day generally qualifies as a very bad day. It usually spells one thing: death. Yet for Benaiah, when the snow settled, there was one set of paw prints and two sets of footprints outside that pit.

What happened next? Royal notice and a promotion. “David put [Benaiah] in charge of his bodyguard” (verse 23 NIV).

God turned what could have been a bad break into a big break for Benaiah.

In fact, God is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. But those God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter those lions will determine our destiny.

We can cower in fear and run away from our greatest challenges. Or we can chase our God-ordained destiny by seizing the God-ordained opportunity.

I don’t pretend to know the unique circumstances of your life, but I’m guessing you have encountered some lions, fallen into some pits, and weathered a few snowy days. Maybe it’s a God-sized dream that scares the living daylights out of you. Maybe a bad habit or a bad decision finds you at the bottom of a pit. Or maybe a cloud of self-doubt casts a dark shadow on your future.

Strap on Benaiah’s sandals and unsheathe his sword. You can climb out of the slipperiest pits and chase the biggest lions.

What is a lion you’ve faced down and defeated, through God’s might, in the past? What lions are waiting in front of you now?