Hinds’ Feet on High Places Christian Study Guide

February 28, 2007 at 6:45 am (Books, Christianity, study guides)
Tags: Books, christ, Christian, Christianity, Faith, hinds feet on high places, Jesus, jesus christ, Religion, study guides

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.”
– Habakkuk 3:19

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The book club I am in is reading Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard this month. The book is an allegory, wherein the main character, Much-Afraid, takes a journey up a rocky mountainside for which she must develop “hinds’ feet” to reach the “high places.” She is encouraged on her way by the Chief Shepherd, who comes to her aid whenever she calls, and is accompanied by the companions he chose for her, Sorrow and Suffering.

The theme of this book is crucifying your own will for that of your Lord. Every acceptance of His will is an altar of sacrifice that helps us to progress and mature in our walk with Him.

I would invite any of you who stumble across this blog to read the book and consider some of the things I’ve mentioned below. The first and longest portion of this guide is a simple summary of the book, with scriptural references for expansion on what the allegory is really attempting to say. But personally, I feel that the most important part comes in the few questions at the bottom. Asking myself these questions as I was reading was what was truly helpful to me in applying the lessons Much-Afraid learned on her journey in my own life. Remember, as the introduction states: the “High Places” are not meant to signify heaven or life after death, but the rewards God gives us during our lives here on Earth if we follow the path chosen for us.

MuchAfraid’s Journey – A Summary:

• Part 1: Weeping May Endure for a Night (Psalm 30:5)
  1. Invitation to the High Places: The chief shepherd offers Much-Afraid salvation from the Valley of Humiliation and all of her “Fearing” relatives who plague her existence. He sows the seed of divine love in her heart so that it may grow and blossom into Perfect Love.¹ He tells her to be ready at a moment’s notice to drop everything and follow Him so that he may lead her to the High Places, the Kingdom of Love.²
  2. Fearing Invasion: Much-Afraid is besieged at her home by a mob of “her terrible relatives”, who blame her for estranging her family and attempt to persuade her that her husband-to-be, Craven Fear, only needs her help to change his manner and that this is her responsibility. It is during this moment of weakness and confusion that the Chief Shepherd chooses to come for her, but she is paralyzed by her fears and unable to go with him.³
  3. Flight Into the Night: Later, with the help of Mrs. Valiant (her neighbor), Much-Afraid is able to overtake her cousin Gloomy and escape from her relatives. Even though she was not ready to follow the Chief Shepherd when he came for her, the Shepherd waited and did not leave without her.⁴
  4. Start for the High Places: The Shepherd uses the beautiful wildflowers to teach Much-Afraid a lesson: the flowers offer up their beauty completely and willingly even though it seems that there is no one to appreciate them.⁵ He tells Much-Afraid that once she has ascended to the High Places, she will have the power to take all that she is given and travel between the High Places and the Valley of Humiliation. After teaching her these valuable lessons, he discusses with her that he will leave her with two guides who will help her ascend the mountain, but that he will never be out of her reach.⁶ At that, he leaves her with Sorrow and Suffering.
  5. Encounter With Pride: The relatives Much-Afraid left in the Valley of Humiliation have allowed themselves to be consumed with bitterness that she has escaped and begun her journey with the Chief Shepherd. In their efforts to make her return, they send her cousin Pride up on the mountain to discourage her. In talking with Pride, Much-Afraid does begin to question the validity of the Shepherd’s statements to her, but when she remembers the covenant he made with her, she calls upon him and he comes to her aid.⁷
  6. Detour Through the Desert: Sorrow and Suffering begin to lead Much-Afraid down instead of up, and when she calls on the Shepherd, he tells her only that she must trust his word. This is where she builds her first altar. Once she concedes to go down into the desert with him, the Shepherd shows her the process by which grain is refined: it is beaten and bruised over and over until it is fine enough to bake the best bread.⁸ In the desert, she finds a flower called Acceptance-with-Joy and decides to accept her Lord’s will and work for his purposes.⁹
  7. On the Shores of Loneliness: Much-Afraid, left alone with Sorrow and Suffering on the shores of the Sea of Loneliness, rather enjoys her time in the desert until more of her relatives appear with the intention of retrieving her: Resentment, Bitterness, and Self-Pity. After recognizing that they are attempting to manipulate her, Much-Afraid begins to attack her assaulters. But even though she tries to resist them on her own, she is unable to defeat them without the Shepherd’s help.¹⁰
  8. On the Old Sea Wall: Much-Afraid lays down her will on a new altar as her adversaries look on. She glories in the victory the Shepherd has in her. She finds the little flower Acceptance-with-Joy growing in herself, and sacrifices her heart on an altar. The Shepherd tells her that she must be ready for something new, and that he will soon be taking her to the High Places.
  9. Great Precipice Injury: Much-Afraid, along with Sorrow and Suffering, come to a cliff blocking their path. The only way they can continue is by following the path of the deer. Much-Afriad truly believes that it is impossible for her to follow the path any longer as her cousin Craven Fear appears on the mountaintop. Sorrow and Suffering urge her to call the Shepherd, but she hesitates because she is afraid that he will send her up the cliff. She does call him in the end, and he encourages her. She lays her will, dread, and shrinking on an altar and makes the decision to ascend wherever the Shepherd would have her ascend because his desire for her life is more important to her than her own.¹¹ She must now surmount Mount Injury bound to Sorrow and Suffering, helped along the way by the Spirit of Grace and Comfort.
  10. Ascent of the Precipice Injury: In a cave where the travelers are to pass the night, Much-Afraid finds the flower Bearing-the-Cost (Forgiveness) which has borne injury and not ceased to love. Much-Afraid builds another altar and dedicates herself to forgiveness. Later on their journey, Much-Afraid takes a fall that can only be healed by the Spirit of Grace and Comfort.¹²
  11. In the Forests of Danger and Tribulation: Much-Afraid and her companions weather a storm and fight against Craven Fear with strength. When the storm returns, they are safely protected in a hut provided along the way.¹³
  12. In the Mist: Spurred on by Resentment and Bitterness, Much-Afraid works herself into a frenzy believing that they are not ascending at all, and that they have missed the path up that they were supposed to take because of the fog surrounding them. Only when she becomes so tired of stumbling and feeling miserable that she begins to sing a song of worship does the mist lift, and the Shepherd come to her aid.¹⁴ After spending time in quiet conversation with him, she invites him even to deceive her if it be his prerogative.
  13. In the Valley of Loss: Sorrow and Suffering lead Much-Afraid, again, into a valley instead of up higher, and she honestly considers abandoning the Shepherd’s path for her own. But the idea of a world without the Shepherd’s love and guidance is so terrifying and dismal that she gives herself completely to him.¹⁵ It becomes clear to her at this moment that the only thing that matters to her is faithfulness to her Lord.
  14. The Place of Anointing: Much-Afraid learns that as much work as her journey has been, the last part is simply surrender, trusting the Shepherd to carry her all the way up – she rides a suspended chair all the way to the top. From the waterfalls of love she learns that the spirit of the citizens of the Kingdom of Love in the High Places lies in their desire to give.¹⁶ At the mountaintop, the Shepherd reveals himself to her as the King of the Kingdom of Love so that she will see the truth. Finally, she spends time there preparing herself for the last part of her journey, which she does not know is death.¹⁷
  15. The Floods: The Shepherd commands Much-Afraid to go up to the top of the great waterfall at the top of the mountain. On the way they meet Fear, Bitterness, Resentment, Pride, and Self-Pity on their way down the mountain, fleeing a storm at the top. But Much-Afraid refuses to turn back; the Shepherd has prepared a place for them to take refuge until the storm passes. Throughout the storm she is tempted to stray yet again from the path set before her, but instead examines the stones she has collected in memory of the sacrifices she has made on her altars along the way and refuses to forsake any of them.¹⁸ After the storm, she continues to ascend to the heights.
  16. Grave on the Mountains: Much-Afraid casts herself down onto an altar to sacrifice her offering. With help, she tears human love from her heart and lays her life on the altar.
• Part 2: Joy Cometh in the Morning (Psalm 30:5)
  1. Healing Streams/Hinds Feet: Much-Afraid awakes in the High Places with Hinds’ Feet. Called by the Shepherd, Much-Afraid realizes that she is able to leap out of the canyon she is in with her new powerful hinds’ feet. The Shepherd fulfills his covenant with Much-Afraid by giving her a new name – Grace-and-Glory – and bestowing upon her the divine love that has blossomed in her heart.¹⁹ He also transforms the common stones she collected as memory of her sacrifices into jewels from which to fashion her heavenly crown. Finally, he introduces her to her new companions, the transformed Sorrow and Suffering, now called Joy and Peace.
  2. High Places/Return to the Valley: Despite the lessons Grace-and-Glroy and her companions learn in the High Places, and the trouble they took in getting there, they decide that their new responsibility is to help others reach the High Places as well.²⁰

Notes
¹ “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. . .” 1 John 4:18
² “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matt 16:24
³ “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.” John 10:27
⁴ “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my words and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8
⁵ “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love on another.” John 13:35
⁶ “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
⁷ “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13
⁸ “For you, Oh God, tested us; you refined us like silver.” Psalm 66:10
⁹ “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:17
¹⁰“Jesus answered, ‘It is written, “Man does not live on bread alone.”’” Matthew 4:4
¹¹ “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:3
¹²“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:35
¹³“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3
¹⁴“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
¹⁵“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9
¹⁶ “The Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Acts 3:6¹⁷“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him. . .” 2 Timothy 2:11
¹⁸“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:25
¹⁹“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
²⁰“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though god were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’sbehalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

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Christian Lessons from the High Places

• Accept with joy.
• Bear the cost of forgiveness without bitterness.
• God does not regard you as you are, but as you will be when you become what He wants you to be.
• Even the most evil things can be overcome with goodness and love.

Some Questions to Consider:

1. Where is your “Valley of Humiliation”? Have you returned there, since you received salvation, to bring the gifts God has given you to others who need them?
2. How do you respond when God asks you to sacrifice for Him? Do you build the altar he requests of you with joy or resentment in your heart?
3. What stones do you carry in your pocket to remind you of your personal covenant with God?
4. What was your name before you allowed God into your heart? Where you a MuchAfraid? Bitterness? Resentment? Self-Pity? Who were/are your most persistent enemies?

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I’d like to leave you with a quote from Chapter 89 of the monk Evagrius’s The Praktikos (rules for monastic life from the early Middle Ages). Of course we know that goodliness and Godliness can be measured in more ways than any man could enumerate, but here are just some of the ways in which surrendering ourselves to God’s will can manifest blessedness – signs that we are on the right road – in our lives:

“According to our master, that man of wisdom, the rational soul is composed of three parts. When virtue comes to birth in the rational part it is called prudence, understanding and wisdom. When it is developed in the concupiscible [earthly, rebellious] part it receives the names of temperance, charity and continence. Justice, however, is located in the whole of the soul. The virtue of the irascible part is termed courage and patience. Now the proper work of prudence is to war against the hostile powers and to protect the virtues, to draw up its forces against the vices, and to arrange affairs according to the requirements of the times. The province of understanding is to direct all those things which lead to our perfection in such a way that they harmoniously achieve their aim. Wisdom governs the contemplation of the meaningful structure of both corporeal and incoroporeal objects. Temperance has the function of enabling us to look upon those affairs which cause irrational phantasms, remaining the while free of passion. Charity has the role of showing itself to every image of God as being as nearly like its prototype as possible no matter how the demons ply their arts to defile them. Continence has the power of refusing with joy every pleasure of the palate. The work of courage and patience is to know no fear of enemies and eagerly to endure afflictions. Finally, justice produces a certain harmony and symphony among the various parts of the soul.”
Evagrius Chapter 8

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All scripture verses are quoted from the New International Version of the Bible using The Bible Gateway – an extremely useful tool!