Aug | 14 | Built By God & Put Beside The Bulldog

Dream Word – CARE

1 Chronicles 11:22-25 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, five cubits tall. In the Egyptian's hand there was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard. NKJV.

Built By God & Put Beside The Bulldog

Happily married and healthy, he was in semi-retirement and running two small grocery shops, when the call came to meet Winnie at Croydon airport. For the next 18 years between 1921 and 1945, Detective Inspector Walter Henry Thompson (who died in 1978) was the bodyguard of Winston Churchill.

The stern, tight-lipped figure of Thompson, Winston’s shadow, can be seen lurking quietly in the background of most photographs featuring Churchill. During the course of his duties, Thompson lost his marriage in a divorce, his health in a nervous breakdown and nearly lost his life, times without number. All of this happened whilst protecting Winnie from some twenty assassination plots! Winston (Winnie) Churchill believed that over the course of his life, that he had been protected by a Supreme Being in order to deliver the world from the excesses of Hitler and the Nazis. I personally believe that to be the case, and being the case then, God also used Thompson as one of his mighty tools for preserving Churchill’s life. Thompson was built by God for such a time as that.

Benaiah means, ‘Built by God.’ This mighty man of strength and courage was made chief of King David’s bodyguard having proved himself after having, in particular, killed an Egyptian over seven feet tall, two fierce warriors, lion like men of Moab and a hungry lion weighing some 300-500 lbs, very angry and cornered in a pit, on a cold and slippy, wet and snowy day. This man’s courage was tried and tested in the facing of all kinds of lions. These deeds simply made known to other people, the kind of man he already was. Thus he was charged with the command of King David’s bodyguard.

Some of you have been built by God and charged with the protection of His leaders. Protect them. Give your life for them. Some of you leaders know that other people would willingly spend their lives for you. Don’t let your stupidity make that spending a cheap price. Some of you fail to face your lions, you run from them instead of running to them! Yes, Benaiah was a lion-chaser! As Mark Batterson says, “What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure… your greatest fear? Go on,” says Batterson, “Chase that Lion, overcome adversity, unlearn those fears, embrace uncertainty, calculate the risks, seize the opportunity, defy the odds and don’t be afraid of looking foolish!”

A lion is a terribly dangerous thing! However, maybe, just maybe, you are even more dangerous than him. Go on, growl a little! Maybe then God might place even you beside a bulldog!

Listen: - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:8-11NKJV )

Pray:- Yes Lord, make us into Lion-chasers and show us that the gates of hell, shall not prevail against us, in Jesus name I ask it, amen!