Chase the Lion

What would drive someone to chase a lion into a pit on a snowy day? Courage, desperation, or divine purpose? In this episode of Starting Right, we explore the fascinating biblical account of Benaiah, a valiant warrior who did exactly that—and how his story challenges our approach to risk, fear, and opportunity.
Today's episode highlights numerous biblical risk-takers who changed history by stepping out in faith. We share the compelling "Lion Chaser's Manifesto" that challenges listeners to "quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death" and instead pursue God-given passions with boldness.
God has placed abilities and plans inside you beyond your wildest imagination. Don't let fear keep you from discovering them. Remember, if the best results were always found on the easiest paths, everyone would achieve greatness.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right.
I am Danny Mac and I'm going tobe here every Monday to Friday
to help you get a great start toyour day.
So grab your cup of coffee, sitback and relax for the next
five minutes as I help you startyour day by starting right.
Mark Batterson is the seniorpastor of National Community

(00:37):
Church in Washington DC.
He has recently written a bookcalled Chase the Lion, in which
he challenges Christians to getover the fear of failure and to
take steps of faith toaccomplish some great things for
God's kingdom and for God'spurposes.
The scripture verse he uses asa basis for this comes from the
book of 2 Samuel, chapter 23 andverse 20.

(00:59):
This portion of scripture istalking about David's army, his
mighty men that are in thisbattle with King Saul.
It says there was also Benaiah,son of Jehoiada, a valiant
warrior from Kebzil.
He did many heroic deeds, whichincluded killing two champions
of Moab.
Another time, on a snowy day,he chased a lion down into a pit

(01:19):
and killed it.
You have to picture this wholescene that it's talking about
here.
The snow is falling, it's cold,it's miserable.
Benaiah and this lion crosseach other's path and Benaiah
gives chase to the lion.
The lion doesn't chase him,he's chasing it and somehow the
lion falls into a pit andBenaiah goes in there after it

(01:41):
and kills the lion.
That could have weighed as muchas 500 pounds.
He should not have been able todo that, but he did.
That took a lot of guts, thattook a lot of courage to say I'm
going to go in there and I'mgoing to defeat this thing.
There are some scholars whobelieve that the lion had been a
problem.
It had been killing people, ithad been raiding some of their
camps.
It had been doing things.
Benaiah was wanting to get ridof it and when he did, he became

(02:07):
a local hero, which gave to hima special place in David's army
.
In all of our lives there's atime where we get to a place
that's really scary for us.
We don't know what the answersare, we don't know what to do,
we don't know how to moveforward, but it's really a fork
in the road.
If we go one way, it's safe,it's easy and will be okay.
If they go the other way, theremay be a risk involved, but the

(02:32):
rewards could be really great.
Really great for your testimony, really great for your ability
to share what God is doing inyour life.
But it's risky.
It's a risky way to go.
What I do know is that we willnever accomplish anything great
if we don't take a risk.
If the best results were alwaysthe easiest results, everybody
would have the best results, butwe don't.
Often our lives require that wetake risks, that we step out, do

(02:54):
something that may not make alot of sense, but in the end it
produces something special,often something incredible.
Christians are often nervousabout this risk and reward
concept, but the Bible is fullof them.
In the Old Testament it'sAbraham putting Isaac on the
altar.
It's Moses saying to Pharaohlet my people go.
It's Rahab harboring the Jewishspies.

(03:16):
It's David taking off Saul'sarmor.
It's Esther walking into theking's court uninvited.
And in the New Testament it'sthe wise men following the star.
It's Andrew dropping hisfishing nets.
It's Zacchaeus climbing thesycamore tree.
It's Peter getting out of theboat.
God rewarded them and throughtheir obedience to his plan and

(03:36):
his purpose for their lives,they literally changed the world
simply because they werewilling to take a risk.
Mark Batterson in the book givesus this what he calls the lion
chaser's manifesto.
It goes like this Quit livingas if the purpose of life is to
arrive safely at death.

(03:57):
Run to the roar.
Set God-sized goals, pursueGod-given passions.
Go after a dream that isdestined to fail without divine
intervention.
Stop pointing out problems.
Become part of the solution.
Stop repeating the past andstart creating the future.
Face your fears, fight for yourdreams, grab opportunity by the

(04:19):
mane and don't let go.
Live like today is the firstday and the last day of your
life.
Burn sinful bridges.
Blaze new trails.
Don't let go.
Live like today is the firstday and the last day of your
life.
Burn sinful bridges.
Blaze new trails.
Live for the applause ofnail-scarred hands.
Don't let what's wrong with youkeep you from worshiping what's
right with God.
Dare to fail, dare to bedifferent.
Quit holding out, quit holdingback and quit running away.

(04:44):
Chase the lion.
I encourage all of you to lookat the dreams and the plans that
God has placed into your heartand your life, the opportunities
that are before you.
Don't disregard an opportunityor plan simply because it might
look hard and scary Sometimes.
That's the way to the biggestreward for you and for his
kingdom.
God's placed abilities andplans beyond your wildest dreams

(05:06):
inside of you.
Never, never, let yourselfthink that you aren't worthy to
accomplish something.
Great for God, he does have aplan for you.
Have a great day, my friends,and we'll talk.

(05:27):
Thank you for listening todayand I invite you to join me
Monday to Friday, right here on,starting Right with Danny Mac.