Ye, thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm 23:4)

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) Christ speaks here to his atonement and death.  Without the atonement there would be no purpose to his death. It would be like any other person who died previously. But because of the atonement he broke the chains of death that would drag us down into that great pit of misery, otherwise known as hell. He now prepared a way for us, a straight and narrow path which divides asunder the snares, the cunning and wiles of the devil if we would lay hold of the word of God. As the Psalmist said, “Ye, thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm 23:4)

We do need to stay on that path and though we often stray and fall among the thorns he always welcome’s us back. I have heard people say, “it’s too late for me. You go ahead and go to church, but I’m going to sit here in my misery and suffer. Don’t read the scriptures, don’t go to church (any Christian church), don’t believe in the name of Jesus Christ. They’ll judge you and tell you how bad you are.” That is exactly what the devil wants you to believe.

Did you know that Christ said, “And if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world but to save the world.” Christ came to provide a way back to Heaven from whence we came – He came to save us. “He that rejecteth me and receive not my word, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me commandments, what I should say, and what I should speak.”

So in essence we condemn ourselves when we reject the word. I know that many of us have suffered much pain and sorrow in this life. Things have happened to us through no choice of our own and it makes us feel bad about ourselves. But none of us are so bad that Christ did not atone for us. It’s like money in the bank drawing interest, and we say, I know it’s there but it’s too much trouble. I’m happy sitting here in my misery feeling sorry for myself and cursing the world.