Brian Gawley was in training for running in high-altitude marathon races. He mentioned to a friend that he was driving up into the mountains for a long run for a workout. Unfortunately, he did not tell his friend specifically what trail he was going to take.
He parked his car at the Appleton Pass Trailhead in the Olympic Park and then ran ten miles on a trail through heavily wooded mountainsides. When he got to his destination, he took some time to explore some side trails. During all his running he hadn’t seen another person.
He thought he had given himself plenty of time to run the ten miles back to his car before sunset, but when he was still miles away from his car darkness fell on the mountains. Brian continued to travel in the night, thinking he could find his way in the dark. Unknowingly, he wandered off the main trail, and continued to walk for a while. At one point he slipped and banged his head against something. In the darkness he couldn’t even tell what he had bumped into.
With a throbbing head he realized he was lost and that it was too dangerous to try to travel anymore. He decided to stay right where he was for the night. He was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes. September nights in the mountains can get very cold. Often, during the night, his body would start uncontrollably shaking. To warm himself, he would stretch his arms and legs in an effort to get his blood circulating. He couldn’t sleep at all.
If the run had gone according to his plan, Brian would have made it to his car with daylight to spare. However, the evening light faded quickly from the sky, and he lost his way in the dark. When souls don’t see their need of God, how quickly a spiritual darkness settles over them! In the darkness they wander on paths that lead to destruction. “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, which leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” It is called the broad way because there are so many crowded on it that it has to be wide to accommodate them all. People want to live just as they please, without regard for God, and just about anything is permissible.
Where does the broad way eventually lead? Does it lead to a fun-filled life? Deep heart satisfaction? No, it inevitably leads to dissatisfaction, death and eternal destruction in hell. People who have loved darkness in this life will, at death, be sent to the utter darkness of hell. There is no escape.
Brian Gawley didn’t like being lost in the dark. If you don’t like being lost in spiritual darkness you can look to the Savior. “I am the light of the world,” the Lord Jesus said; “he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness.” Only in His light can men or women who have wandered onto the paths of darkness ever find the way to safety, freedom and life. If you want to get on the path that leads to life, you need to come to the Savior.
You can be sure the Lord Jesus is searching for you. In the parable of the lost sheep, a shepherd leaves his flock of ninety-nine and goes out to search for his one lost sheep. Perhaps the shepherd had to search at night on a dark mountainside full of dangers. He searched until he found it. Then, rejoicing that he had found that which was lost, he brought the sheep home. The Lord Jesus is like that shepherd, and sinners who are in darkness are like the lost sheep. All heaven rejoices when a sinner gets saved and is brought home to the God who loves him.
Brian Gawley remained lost on the mountain for two more nights before he was located by searchers and brought home to safety. How much longer will you remain in the darkness before you come to Christ Jesus for salvation? “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Won’t you come to Him today?