Lion’

Growing up, the word “bad” was a slang word used to describe something really great. I’m not sure who started twisting that word around, but I said it all the time.  I would say, “That’s a bad car” or “That’s a bad play”or “That man is bad.” In the Bible there’s a bad man who doesn’t get much attention.  His name was Benaiah.  One of the things he did is found in 

2 Samuel 23:20 (NKJV) Benaiah…He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

Who in their right mind would go down into a pit with a lion—much less on a snowy day?  Benaiah was not a crazy man, he was a bad man.  We can only speculate on why he took such a risk, but we might get close.  Think about it, what would cause you to go down into a pit with a lion on a snowy day?  How about if that lion had just killed someone in your family or your livestock, you might go down into a pit with a lion on a snowy day.  If that lion was a repeat offender and kept coming regularly attempting to devour you, you might get in the pit with a lion on a snowy day.  If you knew the lion was never going to stop attacking, you might go down in the pit with a lion even on a snowy day.  And it’s possible that pit was the ingenious strategy of Benaiah.

It was a snowy day and a pit, meaning that the time and place were not ideal.  One thing was certain, someone was going to die, Benaiah or the lion. 

Most likely there is a lion somewhere around your life seeking to destroy the things you love and hold dear.  Is your family being devoured?  Is your marriage being devoured?  Is your ministry being devoured?  Is your life being devoured?  At some point, you have to say, “That’s enough! No more!” God’s word says, 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

When are you going to put an end to this lion?  Likely, when the lion attacks and you strike back, it’s not going to be a good time or place suitable for a fight. In fact, you may not be the one who appoints the time and place, but you can be like Benaiah.  

Be strong and courageous in the Lord.  Be humble and pray and be the bad (great) man/woman God made you to be.