1 Chronicles 11:20-25: a reflection

20Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 21Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain; however he wasn’t included in the three. 22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. 23He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high. In the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things and had a name among the three mighty men. 25Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three; and David set him over his guard.

Among David's valiant warriors, Benaiah stands out for his courage in facing danger head-on. He killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day, going down into the pit to face the beast rather than fleeing; and he killed a giant Egyptian armed with a spear, going against him with only a staff, wresting the spear from his hand. Benaiah did not shrink from danger or difficulty; he went toward it, facing his lions and giants head-on rather than fleeing them.

Notice Benaiah's courage: he faced danger head-on, going toward it rather than away. He went down into the pit to face the lion, in the worst conditions, on a snowy day; he went against the armed giant with only a staff. He did not shrink from the danger, or flee it, or wait for better conditions; he faced it head-on, going toward the difficulty and the danger. His courage was not in avoiding danger, but in facing it, going down to meet the lion in the pit rather than fleeing.

That courage, facing our difficulties and dangers head-on rather than fleeing them, is worth aspiring to. We often want to flee our difficulties, to avoid the dangers and challenges before us, to wait for better conditions. But Benaiah went toward the danger, facing his lions head-on. There are times when the right course is not to flee a difficulty or danger, but to face it, to go toward it and deal with it head-on. When you face a difficulty or danger you are tempted to flee, consider Benaiah, who went down into the pit to face the lion. Do not always flee your challenges, waiting for better conditions; there are times to face them head-on, going toward the difficulty rather than away. Ask God for the courage to face your lions and giants, the difficulties and dangers before you, head-on, as Benaiah faced his, rather than fleeing them, trusting God as you go toward the difficulty he calls you to face.

Lord, among David's valiant warriors, Benaiah stood out for his courage in facing danger head-on: he killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day, going down into the pit to face the beast, and killed a giant armed with a spear, going against him with only a staff. He did not shrink from danger, but went toward it, facing his lions and giants head-on. Show me his courage: he faced danger head-on, going toward it rather than away, not fleeing or waiting for better conditions. That courage, facing my difficulties and dangers head-on rather than fleeing them, is worth aspiring to. I often want to flee my difficulties, to avoid the dangers and challenges before me, to wait for better conditions. But Benaiah went toward the danger. There are times when the right course is not to flee a difficulty, but to face it, to go toward it and deal with it head-on. When I face a difficulty or danger I am tempted to flee, help me consider Benaiah, who went down into the pit to face the lion. Keep me from always fleeing my challenges; help me face them head-on when I should, going toward the difficulty rather than away. Give me the courage to face my lions and giants head-on, Lord, as Benaiah faced his, trusting you as I go toward the difficulty you call me to face.