#12: Did anyone ever tell you that once you received Christ, you would no longer have any problems? If so… they lied.Bunyan brings Christian to the Hill Difficulty right after the Cross: ie the Gospel at times actually stirs up trouble! So let’s not be surprised when we encounter Difficulty! First he drank from a spring to draw on the Spirit’s strength + then chose between the Way straight ahead + 2 others: to the left into woods but called Danger + the other to the right into a field called Destruction. Christian chose wisely + stayed in the Way: ‘Better, though difficult, the right way to go, Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe. Formalism + Hypocrisy chose poorly; they stumbled, fell and rose no more. Climbing the steep hill; Christian fell also, but he kept going, even on his hands + knees. He rested in an arbour ½ way up, but so distracted by his weariness, he fell asleep in the midst of difficulty + lost his precious roll = evidence of life + acceptance at the ultimate destination… but never noticed. When he reached the hilltop, 2 others came running… headed the wrong way! Timorous -lacking confidence + Mistrust -suspicion, were fleeing dangers/lions up ahead+ tried to get him to turn back. Only then he realized his roll was missing, so returned, retraced his steps + recovered what he’d carelessly lost. Setbacks, disappointments, losses… even viruses, try to overwhelm, but as Christian, we need not waver: ‘Back is nothing but death; forward is fear of death + life everlasting beyond; I will yet go forward.'