Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Psalms 91:5

Read: Psalm 91, Acts 9:1-19
Pilgrim’s Progress Stage 2 Part 3

Relate: Just as Christian steps through the gate, something happens that Bunyan slips into the narrative almost as an aside, but which carries enormous theological weight. Good Will reaches out and pulls Christian through with sudden force. The reason, Good Will explains, is the castle of Beelzebub, which stands not far from the gate on the outside, and from which the enemy fires arrows at those who approach the threshold, trying to cut them down before they can enter. The pull is not ceremony. It is not impatience. It is rescue. Even at the moment of entry, the danger is real.

React: For those of you who have been following Christ, for those who have crossed through the Gate, can you remember that pull? Everyone’s salvation story is different, but there is always a pull. Sometimes it is a steady nudging. Sometimes it is sudden, violent, and urgent. For one man violently opposed to Christianity, he was pulled right off his… umm… donkey and on to his… umm… rear end, with blinding speed. 

Whether strong or gentle, whether gradual or sudden, there is always the pull. It is the pulling of the Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin. (John 16:9) It is the pull of the Holy Spirit that reveals our own inadequacy. (John 16:10) It is the pull of the Holy Spirit that helps us understand the things of God. (1 Cor 2:14) It is the pull of the Holy Spirit that brings a sorrow that leads to repentance. (2 Cor 7:10) Those who have gone through that Gate already know this. But those have not… do you feel that pull? Don’t resist it.

Respond:

Dear God,
I am so grateful that you have pulled me through that Gate. I am thankful that this is not the only time and place I have felt Your pulling and nudging and guiding. I also pray for those You have to pull through. Let them feel and respond to Your pulling.
Amen