“And Benaiah, the son of Johoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels (either “lionlike men” or “altars”) of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.”- 2 Samuel 23:20
Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D. C., bases his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day on this obscure passage from 2 Samuel. Pastor Batterson wryly observes that when the image of a man-eating lion reaches our visual cortex, our brain sends us one over-arching message: Run away! Yet, our scariest lions may be our greatest opportunities.
The author emphatically states that one of his core convictions is that God strategically positions us in the right place at the right time. Paradoxically, though, there’s a catch. Pastor Batterson notes that, to us:
“The right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time.”
The opportunities God presents to us often come disguised as dangerous lions- and our greatest opportunities may be the scariest lions. Our past experiences are used by God to prepare us for future opportunities. Sometimes, taking no risks may be the greatest risk of all.
Today’s question: What lions have you encountered on your desert, transitional journey? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Impossible odds”
