Every now and again I run across a portion of scripture that stops me cold. And it usually isn’t a theology ladened passage. No, it is usually a sentence or two that causes me to scratch my head a bit.

One of those moments happened this past week. I was studying the mighty men of David in II Samuel 23, and I Chronicles 11. And amid some incredible words of physical exploits, there is this notation (I am paraphrasing): Benaiah, a valiant fighter, struck down two mighty warriors; killed a huge Egyptian and also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

Don’t miss it…Benaiah went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. Benaiah became a lion chaser.

In his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson does a great job of outlining a whole host of lessons to be learned from that simple (but very scary) experience. Mark asserts that lion chasers do not cower and run when faced with big fears, days of uncertainty or challenging situations.

He reminds us that sins of commission carry this warning: “Don’t do this!” But sins of omission can cause a reflection too. Those signposts read “you should have done this!”

Batterson asserts that psychiatrists believe that there are only two innate fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Contrast that with a psychiatric reference book that might list 2000 classified fears. If there are only two that are innate, that means every other fear is learned. And by implication, can be unlearned.

But we would have to be lion chasers to do that.

So, this week, if you find yourself wandering through a proverbial forest on a snowy day and you see a lion running by. Follow their tracks. Notice the pit they have fallen in. And jump right in behind them. God is in the business of using those kinds of experiences.

Back to II Samuel 23, note verse 23. Sometime after Benaiah’s encounter with the lion, David is reviewing resumes for a new bodyguard position. And guess who he picks? Yep, Benaiah is the guy. The way he handled the lion suggested that he could handle the enemies of David. And he got the job.

You and I will be able to do great feats for the Lord as we build on our challenges and struggles. Each difficulty presents an opportunity for the Lord to strengthen us; to prepare us for “…the good works which He prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10).

Let’s go find a lion in a pit!