A popular show on TV is called the "Fear Factor" where people do crazy stunts. They face their fears and attempt awesome feats. Have you ever noticed that fear has a way of paralyzing us? Whether we freeze in the headlights or we cease to follow God's lead, fear is the factor behind it. There is a man in the Old Testament named Benaiah who overcame his fears to become a man whom God trusted and utilized. Benaiah's name literally means "God made." As we trace the Scripture we see how God transformed him into a useful vessel. He was the son of a Chief Priest. In other words, a Pastor's kid. As a Levite, it was expected that he would follow in his Father's footsteps and become a Priest. God had something else in mind for young Benaiah. In 2 Samuel 23.20-21 we read of Benaiah's exploits. You might call them a challenge or adventure. Certainly these would be on the "Fear Factor" if faced today. Benaiah was a warrior. He faced 2 of Moab's best warriors and cut them down. Later, he met a huge Egyptian warrior who held a spear. Benaiah only had a club. During the match Benaiah took the Egyptians own sword away from him and killed him with it. While these victories are noteworthy, a sentence in v.20 states, "he also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion." Can you imagine the today's news interviewers asking Benaiah why he it. Interviewer: "Why did you do it?" Benaiah: Answering like many mountain climbers do, "Because it was there!" We'll never know the why behind this feat. Was it a challenge? Was it mere stupidity? Was he afraid of lions so he jumped in and faced his fears? We do not know. What we do know is that on a snowy day he jumped into a pit and killed a lion. All of these feats were used of God to transform Benaiah into a man of God useful for God's kingdom. There are several things we learn: 1st, that we may feel boxed in by who we are and our circumstances, yet God has a plan for us that will shatter the man-made walls and enable us to be whom God meant us to be. 2nd, that in order for there to be a victory, we must jump in and face our fears. Whether it is jumping off of a cliff into water or taking on a new job or sharing your faith in Jesus with your neighbor, there is no possibility of victory unless we jump in. 3rd, Benaiah put his entire life on the line when he jumped into that pit. He held nothing back. It was all or nothing. It was the lion or him. God can use us mightily for His kingdom when we withhold nothing back from Him. When we trust God with our lives, God builds us up into the kind of man or woman that He wants. There may be plenty of fear factors, but God is more than able to achieve the victory through us. Blessings, Pastor Pete