There is an old western painting of a rugged wagon train that has been drawn into a circle for the evening. The men are gathered around the campfire, and the wagon-master has some maps spread out before him. On the map is a heavy black line that traces the zigzag course they have followed. They have swung a little to the left, then south, but always toward the west.
An argument seems to have erupted about which way to go next. But the leader with grim determination has placed his finger on the end of the black line. With his other arm he is pointing toward the mountains in the distance. He seems to be saying, “We may have to go south around a mountain, or north across a river, but our direction will always be west.”
Every Christian should have that kind of resolve. Difficult circumstances may stand in our way as we continue on the course God has mapped out for us. But if we keep our eye on the goal by looking unto Jesus, we will not stray far from the plot he has outlined.