Chase the Lions in Your Life

The following thoughts are derived from a book entitled “Chase the Lion.”

The story of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel, is recorded in II Samuel 23:20.

Put yourself in Benaiah’s sandals. Your vision is obscured by falling snow and frozen breath. Out of the corner of your eye, you detect movement. Pupils dilate. Muscles flex. Adrenaline rushes. It’s a prowling lion stalking its prey—you.

For some inexplicable reason the lion turns and runs away. Benaiah tracks him in the snow until he comes to the edge of a pit. The ground has given way under the weight of the 500 pound lion and he had fallen in. Benaiah peers down into the pit. A large pair of yellow cat eyes glare back.

Benaiah backs away, turns toward the pit, runs, and jumps in. There is a defining roar and bloodcurdling warriors yell from the pit. Doubtless the lion has a manwich to dine on.       

Unexpectedly a human form slowly emerges from the pit. It is the warrior from Kabzeel, the victor. Claw marks crisscross his bloody frame. 

You are not likely to face a lion under those conditions. But you’ve got to admit, “I killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day” looks very impressive on your résumé, especially if you’re applying for a bodyguard position with the king of Israel. Benaiah not only landed his dream job as King David’s bodyguard, but his life exceeded his wildest dreams. Benaiah climbed the military chain of command all the way to the top, becoming commander in chief of Israel’s army. Way to go, Ben.

In every life comes potential life changing challenges. A time to go big or go home. You have to venture or vegetate. Some readers are old enough to recall such a transitional moment. Hopefully you took the road less traveled and a dream came true.

Fear has kept many from fulfilling their God-sized dream. 

God’s game plan for us is to play offense. Pursue with a passion God’s will for your life. You may venture and fail, but you can always do nothing and fail even worse.

Find God’s will and go after it like a lion-chaser. If after constructive thought and a prayerful search you determine God’s will let nothing hold you back from an all out effort to fulfill your dream.

When everything is said and done, God isn’t going to say, “Well said,” “Well thought,” or “Well planned.” There is one measuring stick: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Take as your mantra, “Thy will be done,” and go for it.