Recap: Now that the book has been reread, reviewed, revisited during a time where I consented to spend 21 days removing things from my life and replacing them with activities that promoted a renewed focus on the things of Godā¦ some time is being dedicated today, in prayer and thanksgiving, to remember what He has revealed.
Chapter One ā Pilgrimās Great Distress Ā As we listen to later conversations between Christian and Hopeful, we see a man with a sensitive soul and conscience; he can recognize his upcoming condemnation driving his desire to make things right with God.Ā He is blessed to find an Evangelist who will direct him with truth.
Chapter Two ā The Way of the World or The Narrow WayĀ The man who is awakened to his sinful condition is now a target of spiritual warfare. Who will he meet as he tries to determine how to obtain reconciliation with God:Ā His friends who want to convince him that heās ok just the way he is?Ā Ā Or a man who can smoothly and eloquently explain the wisdom of this world?Ā Perhaps one who can market a strategy that is not in alignment with Scripture ā a way that does not lead a man to start at the cross; a way that will not provide a helper, the Holy Spirit, that enables our transformation.
Chapter Three ā A Burden Lifted and a Journey Begun The lesson here is that once you have received His grace and forgiveness, your freedom has begun, but you cannot rest in what He has given you ā Heās not done yet! You will still encounter the same temptations to stray from the path, but the responsibility is yours to choose to persevere. Be intentional and focused ā in spite of the compassion you have for others, you cannot help them by stepping out of the only way that will strengthen you to be able to help them! He will transform you, so that His grace can flow through you, to others. Stepping out of His grace, even to help others, will not help them nor will it equip you to help others. Find those Christians who are committed to living His way as well. This is your new family and friends and you encourage and strengthen each other.
Chapter Four ā A Fierce Battle and a Dark Valley We must lay down our lives and count on Him to protect us as he transforms us.Ā We are not like Jesus, yet.Ā We must immerse ourselves in Himā¦ both in His example and His Word.Ā He will be there in our battles.Ā When we are delivered from one battle, we are to remain in Him in order to strengthen ourselves for the next battle.Ā That is the life we now have ā the life between the time Jesus came to earth and the time of His return.Ā If we are not here when He returns, we accept the fact that this life includes the walk through the dark valley of death.Ā Remembering how He delivers us, always, through the battles, strengthens us to have the confidence that He will deliver us, even until death.
Chapter Five ā A Faithful Friend God saw it was not good for man to be alone. God, as Trinity in form, is in relationship, and we, in His image, are to be in relationship with others as well. Not just anyone, as we have seen some warnings in the previous chapters, but others who are committed to this new life as well. We are all different. We all have unique talents. We all have blind spots. It takes another committed follower of Jesus to help us grow to help us remember God and His ways and not the ways of the world that may temporarily distract us.
Chapter Six ā A Faith Beyond Words It is the transformation of the human heart that motivates a true Christian to a life of serving Christ. āDo you know all these things?ā Jesus asks His disciples. āBlessed are you if you do them.ā We judge by the fruit of anotherā¦ but extend grace and margin for those who are still growing in a sincere attempt in following Him.
Chapter Seven ā On Trial for the Gospel John 16:33 ā āIn this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.ā Ā Fellow Christian, do you believe this?Ā Can you stand firm for the gospel truth to save others, even in the face of death? For those that can, they must.Ā For those that cannot, pray for the strength to do so ā pray for the strength of others.Ā It is out of the courage of those who do that hope emerges.
Chapter Eight ā Confronting Worldly Attachments You can only serve one master. But, oh boy, there are some smooth talkers out there that can present words that sound reasonable and include scripture, but the argument leads to the wrong master.
Chapter Nine ā Refreshment at Godās River First some easeā¦ then another trialā¦ then a pleasant river to refresh their spirit. Itās easy to be a backseat driver and this journey is an iterative pattern of ups and downsā¦ highs and lowsā¦ what Scripture often calls Mountains and Valleys. We should refresh ourselves when we can ā giving Him thanks for being the God who is with us in both the mountains and the valleys.
Chapter Ten ā Prisoners of Despair (See the notes above!)Ā I love reading the Bible as a backseat driver, lol.Ā Itās easy to read Exodus and ask the Israelite nation, āHow can you do thatā¦ it was just the last chapter that God didā¦ or God saidā¦ or God providedā¦āĀ Or when we read the Gospels and wish we were there, because surely, we would have believed and behaved differently!Ā Come on, Peterā¦ He just fed thousands with a few fish and a few loaves of bread.Ā Why are you doubting Him now?Ā But then, āIRLā takes a bad turn and somehow, we think that In Real Life, we canāt count on him when we are betrayed by a person we trustedā¦ are overlooked in the work we have doneā¦ or felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness, failure, incompetence, etc. that we lose our hope.Ā (I wonder if those who have gone on before us, that great cloud of witnesses from Hebrews 12, are watching and sayingā¦ Come on, Elisa, remember! He just delivered you fromā¦!)Ā
Chapter Eleven ā Shepherdsā Warnings, Dangers AvoidedĀ On our pilgrimages, be ready to humble yourself and learn to ask, āWhat does this mean?āĀ Find that church family that includes those who are Watchful, those with Experience, those with Knowledge, and those that are Sincere.Ā I think if you can find all those qualities in a single church, you are blessed!
Chapter Twelve ā Faith Under Attack Only God is the creator. Satan doesnāt create new ways of attacking us, heās just more experienced in packaging the same temptations so that they appear as something new. (1 Corinthians 10:13 ā No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankindā¦. Ecclesiastes 1:9 ā What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.) The attacks in this chapter are not all that different from those weāve seen in earlier chapters.
Chapter Thirteen ā Flattering Enemies and Renewed TrustĀ Yes, we lapse in our focus sometimes and do some stupid thingsā¦ that is what we do, but it is not who we are.Ā And even then, He is with us and Ā He may rebuke us.Ā (For which we say, āThank You,ā because He did not leave us.)Ā When He restores us to solid ground, it is nice to remember where weāve been, before we move on again.Ā We should not carelessly move on without examining how we were enticed to leave His way.
Chapter Fourteen ā Stubborn Ignorance I admit, this is still the one Iām stuck in. I have compassion for others, but it is probably not for me to respond like Jesus does to His disciples in Matthew 15:16-20, āAre you still so dull?ā (One of my favorite verses, that when I get stuck, I hear in my own mind.) I cannot change their hearts, even if I fear their eternal death, especially if in their own minds, they have convinced themselves that they wonāt face the judgment that I believe they will. I find myself praying for them, asking God to bring them a better friend than me ā asking Him to deliver that miracle of grace. Asking God to open their eyes, their hearts, and their minds, so they will hear Him say, āBehold! I am doing a new thingā¦. Do you not perceive it?ā Isaiah 43:19
Chapter Fifteen ā Home in the Celestial City Beulah ā from Isaiah 62:4 ā the Lord will take delight in you and your Land will be married. I am so thankful for John Bunyan and the life he committed to following Jesus. He was all-in for Christ and wrote this book to inspire others who are committed to living the same way.