April 26

All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. — Heb 11:13 BSB

If you've ever tried to plow a straight furrow in the countryside, you know the importance of having two stakes in line to guide you. If you only focus on one stake, you’ll find yourself veering off course without even realizing it, making your furrow crooked. But with two stakes, always kept in alignment, you cannot deviate from a straight path.

This is a great lesson for the Christian life. To run a straight course, we need two stakes: the present and the distant. It’s not enough to focus only on the present; we need a distant goal, a clear purpose that shapes our present life. This gives direction and steadiness to our walk with God.