Lion Chasers
Buried deep in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel is an obscure passage of Scripture that, I’m guessing, very few of us have ever reflected on.
“There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.”
2 Samuel 23:20-21
While this account is interesting, at first blush it wouldn’t appear to be all that inspiring. Yet author Mark Batterson uses it as the basis for a marvelous book titled, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. The subtitle offers some insight as to Batterson’s thesis: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars.
I would highly recommend the book to you and expand some of Batterson’s ideas as motivation for you to grab life by the mane. Or, in his words, to “chase the lion.”
Scary Lions and Great Opportunities
Here’s something to contemplate. Have you ever considered that the greatest opportunities are often disguised as the scariest lions? Or that engaging impossible odds can set the stage for amazing miracles?
The greatest opportunities are often disguised as the scariest lions.
Scripture doesn’t tell us what Benaiah was doing or where he was going when he encountered this lion. But it does reveal his gut reaction. And it was gutsy!
Usually when coming face to face with a man-eating beast, a thinking person has only one thought: RUN! Normal people run away from challenges that could eat some Manwich for lunch.
But not Benaiah. Not only did he refuse to run from the challenge, he opted to run to the challenge. And his decision to chase the lion altered his future. Fast-forward two verses and we read, “And David put Benaiah in charge of his bodyguard.” (2 Samuel 23:23)
For most people finding yourself in a pit with a lion on a snowy day would be considered bad luck. But when Benaiah chose to take on the challenge rather than run from it, he got his big break.
Here’s the point – and let me quote Batterson directly:
“God is in the resume-building business. He’s always using past experiences to prepare for future opportunities. But these God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter these lions will determine our destiny.”
As I look back in my life, I recognize a simple truth: The greatest opportunities were the scariest lions. While many times I opted to play it safe, on those occasions when I chose to chase the lion, God showed Himself strong on my behalf.
The time I walked away from a cherished relationship, thinking that I’d lost everything. Only to discover that if I hadn’t, I would never have found an even greater relationship.
The time I resigned from a beloved occupation as a school teacher to enter into the uncharted territory of pastoring. Only to find an even greater platform for teaching.
The time I left a comfortable job as an associate pastor to plant a church – with no building and little money. Only to see that church explode in growth over the next three decades.
The time I had decided to keep that church in a part of town that was shifting economically and racially. Only to discover the beauty of diversity that would never have happened otherwise.
The time I wondered if there was something more to my future than easing into retirement. Only to find a new opportunity for ministry that you’re experiencing as you read this.
Lion-chasers. Most of us applaud them from the sidelines. Good for them! We’re inspired by people who face their fears or chase their dreams.
What we don’t realize is that they are no different from us. Most of them were scared to death when they made the phone call or kept the appointment or handed in the resignation or signed up for the course. But they did it anyway.
To be sure, not every chase ends with a lion skin on the wall. Believe me, I’ve had my share of failures. But I’ve come to see that what sets lion-chasers apart isn’t the outcome. It’s the courage to go for that which, while humanly impossible, might well set the stage for a God-sized miracle.
What sets lion-chasers apart isn’t the outcome. It’s the courage to go for that which, while humanly impossible, might well set the stage for a God-sized miracle.
Prayer:
Lord, for much of my life I’ve been hesitant to take on the lions before me. Part of me has wanted to play it safe. But I’m beginning to see that taking no risks is the biggest risk of all. Help me see that You have so much more for me and that You want me to take life by the mane.
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