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What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. This is not merely a cliche -- it is played out in every epic story in history. NEEDTOBREATHE's song "Hard Love" reminds us that the difficult obstacles just may be a part of God's design in making us stronger.

We discover a valiant warrior in 2 Samuel 23. The real challenge is when we consider what he had to go through to become a valiant warrior.

On this episode I discuss:

Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:

Complete a character study
Read in context
Make a list
Remember the characters you read about in God's Word are REAL
The story of Benaiah - 2 Samuel 23:20-23
Considering the roles in his life and how it impacted him
As the son of a valiant warrior
As a man with feelings and sorrows
Assuming that Benaiah was among the broken and sorrowful men when their wives and children were taken captive by the Amalekites - 1 Samuel 30:3-6
It was in Benaiah's DNA to be a valiant warrior
Benaiah was famous AND honored
The road was long and hard to develop Benaiah into a valiant warrior worthy to be the bodyguard to the king
God's hard love for us is not merely protecting, it is preparing
What the Bible calls "exploits" we call threats, conflicts, and tragedy
The courage to chase man-eating conflicts is developed over time
Understanding that each trial, tragedy, and battle is ultimately strengthening us and preparing us for the position that God wants for us in His kingdom

This Week's Challenge

Read 2 Samuel 23 and then take the challenge to track down additional references to Benaiah. His story didn't end with David, that's for sure. Read the stories of "David and his men" in 1st and 2nd Samuel, recognizing that Benaiah was most likely in that group and in those battles. Make a list of Benaiah's characteristics and ponder them as you remember that he was a real man. Consider the prayers you are praying. Are you praying for protection or preparation?

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