Daily Affirmations - Day 6 - The Lord Will Guide You - Always - The Narrow Way

Day 6: The narrow way

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, said, "Do you see yonder narrow-gate?"

The man answered, "No."

Evangelist replied, "Do you see yonder shining light?"

He said, "I think I do."

Then Evangelist said, "Keep that light in your eye, and go directly to it—and then you shall see the gate; at which—when you knock—you shall be told what you must do."

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"What are you doing here, Christian?" asked Evangelist.

Christian did not know what to answer—and stood speechless before him...

"Did I not direct you to the way which leads to yonder narrow-gate?" questioned Evangelist.

"Yes, dear Sir," Christian said.

"Why is it, then—that you have so quickly turned aside?" asked Evangelist, "for you have now gone out of the narrow way!"

Then Christian explained, "Soon after I had gotten over the Swamp of Despond, I met a gentleman who persuaded me that in the village of Morality, I would find a man who could take off my burden."

"What did this man look like?" asked Evangelist.

"He looked like a gentleman," replied Christian, "and talked much to me, until he persuaded me to leave the narrow way... He said that he would show me a better way— much shorter, which was not so attended with difficulties as the narrow way in which I was going..."

...

Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, "Give more earnest attention to the things I shall tell you. I will now show you who deluded you—and to whom he sent you... Now there are three things in this man's counsel, that you must utterly abhor:

First, his turning you out of the right way.

Secondly, his laboring to render the Cross odious to you.

Thirdly, his setting your feet in that way which leads unto eternal death.

"First, You must abhor his turning you out of the right way—and your consenting to his false guidance. This is to reject the counsel of God—for the sake of the counsel of the world. The Lord says, 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow-gate,' the gate to which I sent you. 'For narrow is the gate and straight is the way that leads to life, and only a few find it!'

"Secondly, You must abhor his laboring to render the Cross odious unto you; for you are to prefer it 'before the treasures of Egypt!' Besides, Jesus, the King of glory has told you, that he who 'will save his life—shall lose it!'... Therefore I say, if any man labors to persuade you that the Lord's counsel will lead to your death—you must completely abhor his false doctrine.

"Thirdly, You must hate his turning your feet into the way which leads unto death. And for this, you must consider to whom he sent you—and also how unable that person is to deliver you from your heavy burden.

~ John Bunyan ~ The Pilgrim's Progress pub. 1678

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