The Road Less Traveled

Imagine being one of the Magi, undertaking a treacherous journey, following a mysterious celestial phenomenon, and finally arriving in Jerusalem. Then, King Herod secretly summons you. He wants precise details about the extraordinary star that led you there. More than that, he asks you to find the Child and report back to him so that he too may “worship” Him (Matthew 2:8).

At that moment, you might assume you have found an ally in Herod a man of power who appears eager to honor this newborn King. Everything sounds cooperative. Everything seems aligned.

But appearances can be deceptive.

The Divine Warning

Then comes a dream a divine warning instructing you not to return to Herod (Matthew 2:12). Suddenly, you find yourself at a crossroads.

Do you honour the king’s request, or do you obey the divine instruction?

The Magi chose the latter. They departed for their own country “another way.”

This decision was not small. It required courage. It required discernment. It required obedience.

Obedience Over Human Authority

The Bible repeatedly emphasises obedience to God over submission to human agendas. In Isaiah 1:19, we read, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” In Acts 5:29, the apostles boldly declared, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The Magi’s obedience protected them from Herod’s hidden trap. What appeared to be a harmless request was, in reality, part of a destructive scheme. Their willingness to heed God’s warning aligned them with His divine purpose.

Imagine the boldness it took to defy a king. Herod was not merely a local official—he was a ruler with authority and influence. Yet the Magi recognized that divine instruction outweighs royal command.

The Wisdom of “Another Way”

Their choice underlines a crucial biblical truth: true wisdom flows from obedience to God, even when obedience feels inconvenient or risky.

Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

From a human perspective, returning to Herod may have seemed logical. Diplomacy would suggest compliance. Safety might appear to lie in cooperation.

But God’s wisdom often points in a different direction.

James 3:17 describes divine wisdom as “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” The Magi, though scholars from a distant land, demonstrated this heavenly wisdom through simple obedience.

When Obedience Feels Risky

What is the lesson for us today?

Obedience to God often requires taking “another way” a path that may appear foolish or dangerous to the world. It may mean declining an opportunity that seems advantageous. It may require standing for truth when silence feels safer. It may involve choosing integrity over influence.

The wisdom of God frequently confounds human reasoning. As 1 Corinthians 1:25 declares, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men.”

God’s direction may disrupt our comfort zones and challenge our plans, yet it always leads toward life and purpose.

Walking by Faith

When you find yourself at a crossroads—faced with a choice between human pressure and divine prompting remember the Magi. Their obedience was not merely a change of travel plans; it was an act of faith.

They walked by divine instruction rather than political expectation.

As the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Sometimes faith means turning away from what seems logical and choosing what God has spoken. Sometimes faith means taking “another way.”

And in that obedience lies protection, wisdom, and alignment with God’s greater purpose.

Bible Reading: Number 8-10

The Road Less Traveled

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