Focus Verse: I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong, and neither is bread to the wise nor riches to those of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of ability; but time and chance overtake them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11 (AMP)
Recently, I had the opportunity to go hiking. If you are familiar with hiking, then you are probably also familiar with the term “trailblazing.” This is the practice of marking paths in outdoor recreational areas with blazes, markings that follow each other at certain- though not necessarily exactly defined- distances and mark the direction of the trail. While hiking, if you are not familiar with the area, it is important that you pay attention to these markings. They are going to lead you into the direction of your desired final destination.
While on this particular hike, there were places that the path was clear; there was no confusion about the direction one should travel. Other places, the walking path may not have been as clear, so you had to keep your eyes open, as you were moving, for the next blaze. But then, there were times that you had to come to a complete stop, look around, ahead of you, to the left or right, and sometimes behind you to locate the next blaze.
This was a reminder of our journey with Christ. There will be times that the path before us is clear from obstructions, we get in our stride and we move. Other times, our path may not be as clear, but we can still navigate our way through while still moving. Then there are times that we must come to a complete stop and look around for the Father’s blazes. Sometimes we may even need to turn around and go back or revisit where we came from to clearly see the next blaze. This is caused by a number of things: moving too fast, following others, being distracted by things around you that you forget to look to the Father for direction, etc.
Each and every one of us, if we have not already, will experience each of these phases in our Christian journey. The only way we will successfully reach our final destination, hearing God say, “well done, thy good and faithful servant,” we have to remember to keep our eyes on God’s blazes!
Prayer: Thank You, Father, for that reminder! My final destination is to hear You say, “well done.” As I am going through my journey with You, help me to remember to be watchful for Your blazes for my life. During the times that I may not be able to see them clearly, help me to stop and look up for You, trusting that You will reveal Yourself and Your plan for my life. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
Seek the 
