IN THE PIT.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He s.n.a.t.c.hed the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

2 SAMUEL 23:20-21, NIV.

TUCKED NEATLY AWAY in these verses is the story of three difficult events facing one man-Benaiah. He knew how to turn these three big problems into three major platforms that elevated him to a place of prominence in Israel's history. Scripture records how Benaiah at different times faced two warriors from the land of Moab who were known for their fierce fighting skills, a lion in a pit on a snowy day, and a well-armed Egyptian warrior who was seven and a half feet tall.

We might question why Benaiah would be bold enough to chase down a five-hundred-pound lion that could run twenty-five miles per hour down into a pit during snowy conditions. The answer is simple: He had prepared all throughout his life for situations like this. He took full advantage of what others were running from and saw this as an opportunity for him to run ahead full speed. Because of Benaiah's daring and courage, King David put him in charge of his bodyguard; under King Solomon, he became the commander-in-chief of the armies of Israel. Three thousand years later, we still marvel at the courage, risk taking, and faith of this valiant warrior.

When we enter the last days of our lives, we will look fondly upon the days when our faith was stronger than our fears and when our accomplishments exceeded our greatest aspirations. The times when we defeated our warriors, chased our lions, and faced our giants will provide us with our richest memories.

Today, seize your opportunities and keep in mind that your greatest blessings may be masquerading as the biggest obstacles in your path!

What are some of the events from your past that looked devastating at the time, but turned out to be great blessings?

Is there a lion that G.o.d is calling you to chase?

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." -MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

NOVEMBER 16.

SIN CAN NEVER CATCH US.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

PSALM 103:12.

THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES, G.o.d goes to great lengths to convince us that He completely forgives us. Why does G.o.d repeat Himself so often and describe His forgiveness in so many ways? The answer is because we're so slow to believe it.

In all the eras of human existence, people have lived with a strong sense of justice: People should get what they deserve. This perception is a G.o.d-given strength, one that we should value highly. Imagine what society would be like without it! This strong drive for justice, however, can effectively blot out the message of G.o.d's amazing grace. Over and over again, G.o.d reminds us in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come to pay for sins, and in the New Testament, we see Christ paying the price on the cross.

In a beautiful psalm, King David tells us that G.o.d's forgiveness is out of this world-"as high as the heavens are above the earth" (Psalm 103:11, NIV). G.o.d's grace, though, isn't only as high as the heavens; it's also as wide as the east is from the west. No matter how far east we travel, we never reach a stopping point on the globe. And no matter how far west we go, we can always go farther. When He forgave us, G.o.d removed our sin "as far as the east is from the west"-an infinite distance.

G.o.d longs to convince us that His grace trumps justice. Because of His immense, unending love for us, we don't get what our sins deserve. Instead of punishment, we receive forgiveness; instead of shame, we are filled with hope; instead of fear, G.o.d showers us with His love.

Do you have difficulty believing in the depths of your soul that G.o.d forgives you? Explain your answer.

What would it mean in your life for G.o.d's grace to trump justice?

"My own definition of the grace of G.o.d is this: the unlimited and unmerited favor given to the utterly undeserving."-R. G. LEE "The Good News is not too good to be true, it's too good not to be true."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 17.

THE DANGER OF SITUATIONAL ETHICS.

Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No." For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

MATTHEW 5:37.

WE WANT TO SUCCEED and get ahead-there's nothing wrong with that, unless we take unethical shortcuts. In business and in all other relationships, we're tempted to tell people what they want to hear so that the deal will close, we'll get the promotion, our spouses will appreciate us, our kids will behave, and our friends will be more impressed with us. But telling people what they want to hear is, at its heart, manipulation, not integrity. Jesus didn't give a deep psychological explanation for manipulation or attempt to rationalize it. He said that manipulating people is from the pit of h.e.l.l!

One of the marks of a person who is vitally connected to Christ is the courage to speak the truth-not to be obnoxious and blast people, but to speak the simple truth with clarity and grace. However, we're only human. When we're tempted to exaggerate to impress or withhold information to protect ourselves, we need to fight against it and say, "This is the truth. This is what happened."

Yes, we can certainly complain that "everybody shades the truth" from time to time, but that doesn't matter to Jesus. Every time we're tempted to manipulate people's responses by shading the truth, we have a choice: to follow the evil one or follow Christ.

What are some common situations in which you are tempted to shade the truth to manipulate people's responses to you?

What would it do for your self-esteem and your walk with G.o.d to choose the simple truth?

"It is amazing what happens when you recognize your good qualities, accept responsibility for your future, and take positive action to make that future even brighter."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 18.

THE THREE KEYS.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

ROMANS 12:11-12, NIV.

IN A FEW Pa.s.sAGES in his letters to the churches, Paul boils down the walk of faith to simple, profound principles. In his letter to the Romans, he gives three keys to spiritual life. Practice these, he instructs, and you'll go far in your relationship with G.o.d.

The first key Paul tells us about is to "be joyful in hope." In the Bible, hoping isn't wishing, as in, "I hope my investment makes 40 percent this year." No, hope is a strong expectation of G.o.d's deliberate action. It's not wishing; it's confident believing. And with that confidence, our hearts sing as we antic.i.p.ate G.o.d's divine work to accomplish His will in our lives.

The second key is patience in affliction. Difficulties are a part of life. We are fallen people living in a fallen world, and beyond that, G.o.d "prunes" fruitful believers so we will bear even more fruit-and pruning hurts! When we experience problems, our natural reaction is to try to get out of them as quickly as possible, but that's not how G.o.d wants us to respond. Whether He takes us out of them or through them, G.o.d wants us to look to Him for wisdom and strength during the difficulty so that our faith grows stronger.

Unfulfilled expectations, unforeseen difficulties, and waiting for G.o.d's answers can make us want to give up, but the third key is to continue praying with resolve. In difficult times, our prayers deepen and take on a new urgency. And if the delay continues, we stop asking and start listening, which may be the lesson G.o.d wanted to teach us all along.

Which of these keys is a strength in your walk right now?

Which needs some attention? What are you going to do about it?

"Most people who fail in their dream fail not from a lack of ability but from a lack of commitment."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 19.

DEFENDING HOPE.

Sanctify the Lord G.o.d in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

1 PETER 3:15.

YOU NEVER KNOW when it will happen. You might be on an airplane, at the office water cooler, in the backyard talking to a neighbor, in church, or in your child's room putting him or her to bed. Something-your kindness, the other person's need, an event in the news, a family problem-may prompt the person to ask you about your faith. Are you ready? What will you say? How will you say it?

Questions about our faith may come in all kinds of varieties-intellectual, ethical, or personal-but at the bottom of them all, people want to know if our faith experience is rich and real and if it makes a difference in how we live. They are also looking for hope. They long to know they are loved, forgiven, and accepted by G.o.d, and they need somebody to tell them that yes, it's true: G.o.d loves them, too.

When the question is asked, it's too late to prepare our hearts. We must get ready to answer the question by "sanctifying" Christ in our hearts, putting Him first, above all other affections. When our love for Him transcends everything else in our lives (and even if we're actively struggling to love Him more than anything else), we're ready. Our words will reflect our hearts, and authenticity is incredibly attractive to people.

We don't argue people into the Kingdom, and we don't intimidate them into becoming G.o.d's beloved children. Peter reminds us that our demeanor should be "with meekness and fear," realizing the awesome responsibility and privilege of communicating the light of the gospel to a darkened heart.

Are you ready?

If someone asked you about your faith today, what would you say and how would you say it?

What are some specific things you can do to "sanctify" Christ in your heart so you'll be ready?

"If knowing Jesus means a lot to you-and if you know Him, it does-then let me urge you to pray for G.o.d's guidance so that you might witness effectively, and for G.o.d's courage so that you will witness often." -ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 20.

GONE FISHING.

Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

MARK 1:17.

SIMON AND ANDREW were professional fishermen in a family business. Like most people running small businesses, they had to hone their skills and use every ounce of their ability to make a living. By all accounts, they were good at their jobs and could have continued in their profession for many years. But Jesus came along and rocked their world. He showed them that there was something more valuable than catching and profiting from fish-people.

Christ's invitation to the brothers tapped into their previous pa.s.sions and skills. Now, though, they'd be using those to fulfill G.o.d's purposes. G.o.d would use their discipline and teamwork in their new role of "catching" men. They had learned to read the water for signs of fish, but they would now learn to read the Spirit's leading as they pursued people with the good news of Christ.

What are the skills and pa.s.sions in your life that G.o.d wants to use to build His Kingdom? You may be an entrepreneur who can dream big visions of G.o.d's work, or you may be a nurse whose tender care and thoroughness can be wonderful tools in G.o.d's hands. All of us have pa.s.sions and skills G.o.d can use to build His Kingdom: plumbers and attorneys, salespeople and administrators, drivers and doctors.

Each of us is a repository of experiences, talents, and desires that G.o.d wants to use in the lives of people we touch each day. Will we let Him?

What are your top three skills, and how would you describe your pa.s.sion over the past few years?

How might G.o.d tap into those skills and pa.s.sion to use you to touch people?

"Those who learn prosper."-ZIG ZIGLAR