One of God’s greatest gifts to us is that he is willing to direct our paths. He has prepared a way for us, but we must be willing to follow it. It is easy to say we want to take God’s path, but it is just as easy to get off course.

      Once during a race I was leading a guy I had raced against several times before but had never beaten. As we reached a fork in the trail I started to go left, and just then the course marshal yelled “Oh no, right!” However, it was too late, and I was already headed down a short hill. I turned around and started to run back to the turn only to witness my competitor turn right and take the lead. I thought I would never catch up to him, but the guy slowed down and allowed me to pass. “What are you doing?” I asked as I passed him. He told me that it was not my fault and that I just got off the path a bit. He ended up beating me in the race, but he was there at the finish line to give me a hug and tell me what an effort I put out.

     My actions on the course that day have become a great analogy for my walk with Christ. Sometimes I want to run down my own course, but that usually takes me away from where I want to go. After lots of getting lost, I have learned that if I want to get to where I am striving to go, I need to make sure I listen to my course marshal, Christ, before I start to head down the wrong trail.