Christian’s Greatest Trial Yet.

     A few days had gone by, and the children hadn’t seen Uncle Jeff. “Mum, when is Uncle Jeff coming round again?” Bobby asked one day after school, “I want to hear more of that story!” “You are really enjoying that aren’t you?” Mum asked, “Have you noticed that each story has a meaning to it?” Sarah came into the room in time to hear what Mum said. “Yes, I had noticed that”, she said, “Sometimes it even has Bible verses in it. It seems just like things that happen to us when we feel like giving up our Bible reading and learning our verses”. “That’s right”, Mum said, “And I guess there’ll be more of that in the next session too”.

Uncle Jeff called in a few days later, and Bobby couldn’t wait to say, “What happens to Christian in the next part of the story, Uncle Jeff?” So they all settled themselves down, and Uncle Jeff said, “Well, you all remember where we got up to don’t you? Christian had stayed in Mr. and Mrs. Hospitable’s place and was having a good rest after all his frights on the road. What do you think that is like for us?” “Well, I guess you could say it’s like us having a good time at a camp or Youth Group”, Sarah said thoughtfully.

“Yes, that’s right”, Uncle Jeff said, “We get all fired up with hearing all the stories and learning new songs, and then we leave and feel we could convert the world! Well, Christian was like that too. He stayed with the family for a few days before leaving and they showed him all sorts of wonderful things they had collected over the years. There was a little basket like Moses would have been in when he was a baby, and there were some slings like David would have used when he killed the giant, and a collection of clothes that the priests would have worn in the tabernacle. Just before he left, the girls took him into a large dressing room with a great collection of armour.

‘Now, you must put these on to protect yourself on the road’, they said, ‘Here is the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness, and you mustn’t forget to take the sword of God’s Word and the shield of faith’. Christian thought this all seemed too much…’Do I really need all these things?’ he asked ‘Yes, you can’t afford to go without any of them’, the girls told him,  “You never know what you are going to meet on the road’.

    They went down the driveway to the main gate with him and said goodbye as he stepped out onto the road again. Christian looked across the valley and the views were beautiful…there were lovely green fields in the distance and far away over the mountains in the distance he could see a very bright light shining. ‘What is that light away over there?’ he asked as he left. ‘That is the light of the Celestial City where this road ends’, the girls said, ‘That is where the King lives in the mansions He has prepared for His people. You must always keep remembering that is your goal. But first of all the road leads down into this valley and that is where you are going to need your armour, but you must be on your way before it gets any later… goodbye!!’. So Christian headed off down the hill with a light heart and singing one of the songs of Zion as he went.    The further down the hill he went, the darker it got. He forgot the lovely view of the distant mountains, and worse still, he could see a dim figure coming towards him in the fog which seemed to be in the valley. He stopped singing and began to feel afraid. Who was that coming? Then he heard a sweet sound above him…’Don’t be afraid, for I am with you right to the end’.

    He pulled his book out and began to look at it, and this is what he read… ‘the angel of the Lord is round about all those who love Him’.    Christian began to feel better straight away…why should he worry when he could tell the King all about his troubles? He felt a great peace come over him, and he strode along with great purpose.

     Further along, he saw a large fearsome looking creature coming towards him. Somehow he knew this creature’s name was Apollyon. ‘What shall I do?’ he thought, feeling  full of fear. Then the thought came to him…’stand fast and resist the devil and he will flee from you’, so he kept on going firmly, waving his sword as he went. Apollyon started to belch out smoke and make horrid noises, but even though Christian was still afraid, he kept on going. Apollyon lifted his blow gun to his mouth, ready to blow some darts at Christian, but he held his shield up in front of him. Suddenly Apollyon turned and backed off. He knew he was no match for the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit that Christian had.

    The valley was still foggy and dark, but Christian kept going as fast as he could. The track was very narrow and he was afraid of tripping over and toppling into the horrid smelling mud on the side of the path. The thought came to him as he walked along, ‘Even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I won’t be afraid, for the King is with me’, and on he went.

   It started to get lighter and he could see plainly, and as he went a little further, he could see someone ahead of him. ‘Hey’, he called, ‘Wait for me!’ The man turned around to see who it was that was calling him, and Christian could see that it was someone from his home town, a man called Faithful. ‘Oh, it’s you Christian!’ Faithful said, ‘I didn’t recognise you under all that armour. Where did you get that?’ So Christian told him all that had happened since he had been travelling towards the Celestial City, and how the foul creature in the valley of the shadow of death had  tried to hinder him as he went. ‘You know, if I hadn’t had this armour to protect me, I don’t know how I would have got on,’ he said, ‘Did you meet anyone as you came along the road?’

‘I sure did’, said Faithful, ‘And they all tried to turn me back. There was Mr. Discontent who was full of complaints about how hard the road was and kept asking why I didn’t go with him and have some fun. Fun! I would sooner carry on to the Celestial City no matter how hard it is.

    Then there was Shame….a miserable looking creature he was! He kept telling me what a shame it was that I had decided to take this road, and how shameful it was to be seen reading my Book. He said it was a shame to sing the songs of Zion and to repent of my sins. I got fed up with him in the end and told him he could go back by himself, I didn’t want to hear his talk any more!’ ” and Uncle Jeff paused for a minute.

“I’ve heard kids at school saying things like that,” Sarah said thoughtfully, “But they are so full of mean things they say about other people, I don’t want to be like them!”

“One boy at school asked if my parents went to parties or ever got drunk, and when I said no, they said, ‘Don’t they ever have any fun?!’ ” said Bobby, “I don’t think they know what REAL fun is!!”

“No”, said Uncle Jeff, “You wouldn’t feel like taking the family fishing on a Saturday morning either if you had a big head after drinking all night would you!” “Yes, we have lots of fun, don’t we?” Betty had to have her say.