Matthew 2:12, "And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."
John 14:6, "Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
The Wise Men knew of the star foretold by Daniel, an Old Testament prophet, that would be a sign of the Messiah's birth. When it appeared in the East, these God-fearing Gentiles embarked on a 1,000-mile trek to bow before the newborn King. What an amazing display of faith!
Isn't it ironic that the religious elite, those who'd been waiting centuries for God to send them a Savior, completely missed it? On a perpetual path of spiritual blindness, their hearts were directionally challenged. Where was their faith?
Within the Christmas story, we often overlook the significance of Matthew 2:12. The fact that God rerouted the Wise Men's journey after they had come face-to-face with the Savior serves as a powerful lesson: True worship always causes us to leave by another route. The moment we make a faith decision to accept Christ, God reroutes our lives and corrects our course.
Are you on God's path of purpose, peace, and unexplainable joy? Or, are you still wandering along the streets of spiritual blindness? Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life." With Him in our hearts, we can never get lost and we'll always be heading in the right direction!
Help direct the people you know towards Christ by inviting them to experience Christmas this evening at church. Whoever comes to hear the life-changing message of Christ just might leave by another route!
Dear Lord, Thank You for opening my eyes to the path of purpose You have for my life. Work through me to be a shining example to those still lost in darkness. In Jesus' name, Amen.