Week 10 - Encourage

To encourage means to pour courage into the heart of another. 

Who pours courage into you?

Scripture brings healing, instruction, and hope. But it also arouses fervent and awe-inspiring courage. The following scripture kick starts my fearlessness - as you read, imagine yourself as the renowned Benaniah:

2 Samuel 23:20-21 ASV

“And Benaniah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.”

In this story we see Benaniah, a man who had done mighty deeds, slay a lion in a pit, on a snowy day. As outrageous as this sounds, this story connects with the what we are facing and fighting every day.

In order for us to relate to the courage of this valiant warrior, let’s look at what Benaniah had to overcome.  

The Lion: a lion’s claws must be some of the most fearsome weaponry in nature. Not only are they razor sharp and as strong as carbon fiber, but there are 18 of them and they are attached to over 420 lbs. of pure muscle and speed. Considering the season, region, and scarcity of food, this lion was hungry. Bloodthirsty and angry, this animal had every intention on tearing his victim to shreds and eating his warm flesh. 

The Pit: this was a logistical disadvantage for Benaniah. A pit is designed to capture and make escape impossible. This cistern, usually made of stone, would not allow Benaniah to have any tactical advantage.

The Snow: The cold would only freeze Benaniah’s muscles and bones, slowing down his reflexes and reaction time. The ice would also create disadvantage for Benaiah’s footing and traction making him slip and slide toward the mouth of the hungry lion.

The odds were clearly stacked against Benaniah. Yet, in all of this, he slew the lion.

How do we connect to this?

For the sake of this devotional, let’s say that the lion represents sin, the pit represents the traps of the enemy, and the snow represents the social, work, and family environment around us.    

As men we have to face our Lions (sin), daily. Our lions come in the form of personal temptations, whether it’s engaging into mind-numbing video games for hours on end, or seeking sexual encounters, porn, fantasy and masturbation. Whatever our addiction, or unhealthy obsession is, the sole purpose of this lion is to rip you into bite-size pieces, and consume you. The same way a lions teeth are created to tear into muscle and crush bone, the incisors of your personal monster are designed to do the same.             

As men we face Pits (the traps of the enemy), daily. We are at war with a sexually aggressive culture that attempts to ensnare our focus and hijack our thought-life with sexually explicit billboards, music, social media sites, and that person at the gym showing just enough skin to make one obsess about what they look like naked. These traps are designed to capture you by seducing you through the senses. These pits leave a lasting imprint on your brain, so that even if you look away, the image still haunts you.    

As men we face the harsh conditions of Snow (our social, work and family environment). The following environmental factors give us zero tactical advantage over our enemy: poor relationships, or lack of relationships; disappointments and stress at work; having too much pride in our personal success, and not knowing how to handle troubles at home. All of these issues tend to overwhelm us with pride, or feeling out of control and hopeless. These environments trigger our need to take a vacation and surrender to the lion that awaits us in the pit.

I find it interesting that, like Benaniah, the enemy attacks us with not just one problem, but several at a time. I don’t doubt that Benaniah could have handled this lion on a regular sunny afternoon, but to slay this beast in a pit on a snowy day would seem impossible. Yet, our hero prevails.

This story offers us a glimpse of how the enemy will attempt to destroy you. He uses multiple strategies at once to gain leverage over you. However, this story also reminds us that we were designed to overcome the impossible, in what would seem to be impossible situations. There is no strategy, or circumstance that we can’t overcome. Regardless of the size of our lion, the depth of our pit, and the environment that surrounds us - we are created to slay.

What gave Benaniah this advantage?

Being a conqueror was in Benaniah’s blood.  He was cut from the same cloth of a valiant warrior – his father. So are we. We are sons of a Valiant Warrior and therefore share in the victory that belongs to the Lord.  Our Father does not create victims, He develops conquerors. And because your training comes from the greatest Warrior of all-time, you will boldly strut out of your next pit wearing the blood of your enemy:  

“That your feet may wade in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”  Psalm 68:2

You have the authority to slay your lion.

You have been deputized to detain every thought and make it slave to Christ.

You have been called to take dominion over the power of darkness an speak truth into the chaos of your social, work, and family life.        

This devotional was designed to encourage you. It was created to spark a fire into your heart and sober you to the reality that the lion, the pit, and the snow are not as dangerous as you are to your enemy.  Being encouraged awakens the reality that you are made to conquer, live a victorious life, a spread this courage like wildfire into the hearts of others.    

As you have been encouraged, be an encourager: When you encourage others, you boost their self-esteem, enhance their self-confidence, motivate them to push beyond their limits, lift their spirits and make them successful in their endeavors. Encouragement goes straight to the heart and is always available. Be an encourager - Always.

Process & Reflect:

Who will you encourage? This is not a figurative question. Who will you inspire, motivate, and encourage today?   

Daily Training for Week 10

DAY 2 | SCRIPTURE  

Acts 27:22 NIV

“But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.”

Process & Reflect:

Courage can be a perishable commodity. The courage you have today may be used up, or lost tomorrow.  How will you “keep-up” your daily courage?

DAY 3 | SCRIPTURE  

2 Corinthians 10:15

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

Process & Reflect:

In the devotional it states: “You have been deputized to detain every thought and make it slave to Christ”.

Read through 2 Corinthians 10:15 and ask yourself the question, “how do I take every thought captive?”     

To truly find meaning in 2 Corinthians 10:15, read and study Philippians 4:7 and Romans 7:15 -8:12.    

DAY 4 | SCRIPTURE  

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Process & Reflect:

The above scripture reminds us of why we can be so audaciously courageous. When you are in a pit, with a lion, on a snowy day, how do you visualize God in that moment?  

Read the above scripture and visualize God with you in your crises.      

DAY 5 | REFLECTION 

Reflect:

Yesterday you caught a glimpse of  God’s promise to those who are caught in the throes of peril. Today, meditate on Isaiah 43. Let these words encourage you. Hear these words, not from a theological perspective, but from the perspective of a beloved child receiving a motivational talk from his loving Dad. Let His words inspire you to move beyond your obstacles with christ-like courage.    

DAY 6 | SCRIPTURE  

1 Thessalonians 5:11 

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 

Process & Reflect:

Who are you encouraging on a regular basis? Who are you mentoring ? Who are you influencing to become the best version of themselves?  

Pray and carefully consider who you should be pouring courage into. Journal who God revels to you.

DAY 7 | SCRIPTURE  

2 Samuel 23:13-17 New International Version (NIV)

During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”  So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord.  “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

Process & Reflect:

Benaniah is one of the three warriors that fought through a stronghold of Philistines just to serve  their king a glass of water. A warrior and a servant are one in the same – it’s no wonder why the word Samurai means to serve. At the heart of every man who demonstrates great courage is a devotion to humility, selflessness and sacrifice. Nothing demonstrates and exercises these virtues more than serving.  Before we can ever pick up a sword, we better be willing to serve our King and those He loves. As leaders and warriors you must create new, sacrificial habits that are aimed at serving others.  Whether it’s taking 5 minutes out of your day to check in and pray for each other, or dedicate your time and energy to serve somewhere.

How you slay is determined by how well you serve. Who are you serving?