OVERCOMING GIANTS AND LIONS!

1 Chronicles 11:22 NLT There was also Benaiah … a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds,… Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. (See also verses 23-24)

We sometimes hear people say, “Have you ever heard of …..? and they name some so called famous person and very often I’ve never heard of them!😊 But have you ever heard of Benaiah? He’s worth knowing about because he was one of the famous thirty men who served under King David, who did many great deeds!

He killed two champion warriors, which of course then made him a champion! He chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it! Usually it would be the lion doing the chasing and it would be heroic enough to do it on a sunny day, never mind tackling it in a confined space in the snow, but nothing seemed to daunt the man! Then he took on a giant about 7.5 feet tall, just like David had done, wrestled with him, then took him down with the giant’s own huge spear!

Now scripture records all that for a reason. He was a conqueror, an overcomer, he was willing to take on anything and he won, but I can hear you say, “But I’m not Benaiah!”. 

True, but come forward and we see Jesus, our ultimate Champion, who took on every evil demonic force in every realm and totally conquered and overcame them all, but here’s the difference - He then gave us His victory, His authority, to take on and overcome and conquer whatever giant or roaring lion is facing us!

Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and He is in us! Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not! I am with you!” 

So next time something looms up in front of you remember the lion being chased on a snowy day and wiped out by Benaiah and take courage. You have the far greater One now living in you and He will fight for you and through you, and you too will overcome, because there is a Champion in you and He is Jesus’ own Spirit. Hallelujah! 😊 

Zechariah 4:6 Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts. 

Photo by Claudia Schlettwein on Unsplash

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US

Romans 8:35 NLT Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

Everything in the garden may be rosy for you just now but there again it might not! There are times when we need to turn all our thoughts off and just read these verses over and over until they sink down into our spirit to bring peace into anything that is causing us distress. Whether it’s grief, or not understanding why things are the way they are, or when we can’t see our way through, or just when we can’t even think any more we’re so tired, they soothe our soul.😊

For those who are nursing sick loved ones, for those who are struggling to keep going, for those who are so poorly all they can do is call out to God for His help, whatever the trial we’re dealing with, these words are the bedrock beneath all of us. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD’S LOVE.

Even in the darkest moments the Psalmist David constantly cried out to God for His help, for His mercy or His forgiveness. He clung to Him even in the pit he found himself in and reminded himself of how faithful and good his God was to him.

It encourages us to know that even when we may struggle when life is hard, we can thank God for the truth these verses minister to our hearts. 

As we start another week the Holy Spirit is lifting our heads to look up and reminding us that no matter what may happen, or how upset or distressed we may feel, or whether we’re on a high or in a low moment, He will always be faithful and we will never be separated from the love of our God. In Jesus name. Amen. 😊

Photo by Emma on Unsplash