God uses breadcrumbs in our lives to indicate that we are traveling down the right path.

…and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP)

My pastor has been preaching a series from the Book of Hebrews where Paul describes the way every Christian must run the race of faith. Everyone has been assigned a “bib number” and a lane on the track the instant we accept Jesus as our living Savior. Like a traditional track-and-field event, it is absolutely critical that each runner stay within their lane to avoid colliding with someone else. While there are lines on the race track to ensure this doesn’t happen, how do we as Christians remain on the right path? I know for me, life doesn’t always make the most sense. There are things that I can’t explain or didn’t expect and I just have to accept them as God’s will and adjust. But I if I told you that certain things don’t cause me to worry that I may have drifted off-course, I would be lying. Nonetheless, as a believer in Jesus Christ, I know that I have to keep striving for the prize that has been promised to me regardless of what’s happening in my life. I know that I am not alone and that there are many others who are striving for the same thing. So what keeps us in the race?

A few years ago, I helped organize a 3K walk for my job to raise funds for our programs. As part of the event, we placed “aid stations” along the route to assist the participants as they reached the finish line. At most of the stations, there was water, energy drinks, snacks, towels, first-aid kits, ice, etc. We had everything that might be needed in order to encourage the participants to press through despite the blistering hot weather. We even placed “cheering booths” along the path that would be filled with volunteers who would encourage the participants to keep going. These stations were important because in the past, people had gotten lost and ended up in another organization’s event, got exhausted and quit, or got distracted by other activities going on in the park and took much longer than necessary to finish the race.

As I think about life and all the things that are going on around me, I liken that strategy to the one used in one of my favorite childhood stories, Hansel and Gretel. The main characters dropped little hints along their path that would keep them on-track as they tried to make it home. These breadcrumbs would be their sign in the wilderness to keep going, regardless of how dark it got, no matter how tired they became…These breadcrumbs gave them hope. I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears the way God uses “breadcrumbs” in the same way in our lives. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus already ran the race ahead of us and has set the example for how we should run. Now, as we run the same race, we know that victory is ours because He has already won it for us…but just in case we happen to forget that fact and get discouraged by the hurdles along the way, He thought enough of us to drop some breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs come in many forms depending on our need. They can be words of encouragement from a perfect stranger or someone we know. He may bless us with tangible things that we need. We may receive an unexpected embrace or words of thanks from a loved one unprovoked. He may give us an opportunity to serve someone else, which in turn, gives us salve for our own wounds. You might begin to see doors opening and windows of opportunity in places least expected. However God does it, these breadcrumbs send a clear message:

I am with you.

I’m in control.

Nothing catches Me off-guard.

Stop complaining.

Be grateful.

You’re going the right way.

I love you.

You can trust Me.

I encourage you to recognize the breadcrumbs in your life. If you are truly a child of God, you can be sure that you will encounter some hurdles in your path in this race. But the beauty is that God can use those hurdles to bless us tremendously if we’re willing to endure for just a little while. Hurdles are not an opportunity for us to complain, get an attitude, become bitter, curse, cast blame, doubt, or mistreat others. It’s a time to learn more about ourselves and who the Lord is. It’s a chance to grow, to be thankful, to bless other hurting people, and to develop our faith in God. There is a prize for each one of us who believe. Like Paul, we just have to keep our eyes focused on the One who promised us that we are already winners. But even as we struggle daily and press toward our ultimate reward, we better begin to thank God for even the breadcrumbs.