In a Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day

This book was highly recommended to me by a friend who is not a reader. When people who don't love to read are excited about a book, I take notice. Recently it came across the queue for review and I snatched it up. You must be wondering what the book is about with such a conspicuous title.

Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC, breaks down and examines a passage of scripture most of us would skim over. 2 Samuel 23:20 is broken down for the reader. In this verse, Benaiah kills a lion in a pit on a snowy day. Then King David appoints him over his entire army. As you can imagine, this book is about facing fear and making an obstacle an opportunity.

A blurb about the book:

"Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn't chase. You will look back longingly on risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued. Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture, a blessed and audacious act that left no regrets: “Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it” (2 Samuel 23:20 -21). Unleash the lion chaser within! 

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? "

I appreciated this book. It was a rich study in overcoming your fear. It was not taken from the usual methodology. Nobody was telling you how to live your life. This was a challenge for a warrior. Prodding and asking, do you want to aggressively pursue the daunting, impossible thing laid out in front of you or do you want to watch tv and grow fat. It's your choice. 

Sometimes, when you try to write an entire book about one verse of scripture, it gets pretty tired. There were some old cliches thrown in here and there, but for the most part, I felt challenged the entire read. Challenge yourself to attack a lion in your life this year.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." 

Mark Twain

This book was graciously provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review.