063 Enchanted Ground

I once fell asleep while I was driving at speed on a rural road at night. I had already been driving for 10 hours from Cape Town to Johannesburg, South Africa. As the hours slipped by, so did my resolve to stay awake. Remarkably, even though you know the danger of sleeping while driving, your body continually whispers to you that it will be safe just to close your eyes for a few seconds and then you will be able to go on rested. After such a seduction, I woke with a violent jolt, having hit a steel barrier on the side of the road. God was good to me; it could have been much worse. The barrier had stopped me from plunging down the steep drop on the far side of the barrier.

Bunyan speaks of this strong desire to fall asleep and the seductive lies it whispers in your mind. Yet he uses it as an analogy of real temptations that impact Christians in their struggle with sin. He etches lasting cautions onto our minds as we watch Hopeful trying to persuade Christian just to stop for a quick nap. Here God is good to them. He has provided resources for Christians to resist these types of temptations in the provision of Christian companionship and conversation. Bunyan beautifully captures the compelling attraction of this temptation, and the fortifying benefits of good Christian friendships.