Derek Thomas

And Bunyan is saying, for those who had weak faith, the river is very deep.

And for those who have strong faith, like hopeful, he says he could touch the bottom.

As he waded through the river, his feet could touch the bottom.

And Bunyan is saying here, he's being a pastor, of course.

He's saying that not everyone experiences the Christian life in the same way, not everyone experiences trials and tribulations in the same way, and not everyone experiences the process of dying in the same way.

And for some, even strong believers like Christian,

There are trials and temptations and assaults perhaps of the evil one and experiences of the weakness of faith that come and assault you at the time of death.

Some of us have known perhaps a loved one.

I think of a fellow minister who I loved and respected, adored.

Indeed, he was just a godly, godly man.

But in the hour of his death, faith seemed to have escaped him.

And there was a moment, an hour or two, when he seemed to have completely lost his assurance.

And then just before the end, it all came back again.

And that smile of reassurance, I remember as I read to him the 23rd Psalm, and he began to repeat it with me, and all that trial seemed to disappear.

And I think it was an assault of Satan in the weakness of his body and the weakness of his mind at that time, that Satan had one last attempt at him, but faith did triumph in the end.

So, a struggle.

And I think Bunyan is saying here as we read this passage, we need to prepare ourselves.

We need to think about death and we need to prepare ourselves for dying.

You know, not every Christian dies like Mr. Valiant for truth.

We haven't met Mr. Valiant-for-Truth.