I love the story of the wise men coming to search for the Baby Jesus found in Matthew 2:1-12.
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (verses 1-2)
These men set out by faith on a long, winding journey because they recognized the magnitude of the meaning of the star they saw in the East. They declared to Herod that this was the herald of the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah.
“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah: For out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.” (Matthew 2:6)
But it seems that they must have lost sight of the star for a while after embarking on their arduous trek and had to stop and ask for directions at Herod’s palace. For the story continues,
“Behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” (Matthew 2:9-10)
The star, to their great joy and delight, reappeared and acted as a neon sign pointing to the very house where they were to find the Child, Yeshua, and His parents. And their journey was worth every mile, every dusty footstep when they saw with their own eyes the beautiful Messiah that God had sent to save His people. But here, after worshipping Him with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the story takes an unexpected turn.
“Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” (Matthew 2:12)
They had to take a circuitous route home to avoid the danger of Herod’s evil intent. Then Joseph, also being warned in a dream, had to take his family on a sudden and unexpected detour into Egypt for who knows how long. (Matthew 2:13) And on their way home, they planned to return to Jerusalem but were detoured again to the Galilee. (Matthew 2:22) But that was all by God’s design. For that was where Jesus would do much of His ministry.
So, you see, all these detours and circuitous routes were for good reasons. God had a plan to guide the wise men to where He wanted them, and He had a plan to keep His Son sheltered safely from the evil schemes of the devil to destroy His Seed.
Maybe you feel like you’ve been on a detour lately from the journey you have set out on by faith. Maybe you feel like you are walking in circles and getting nowhere fast. Or perhaps you feel like you are sitting in a strange place waiting on the word from the Lord to move, but the light has been red for a long while now.
Don’t be discouraged. God has a way of getting us where He wants us at the proper time. Even when you are seeming to sit idle and don’t understand why, God is still at work to accomplish His good will in your life. When you trust God, you find that He is even found in the times of waiting in our lives. He is still with you and will never forsake (abandon) you. And at the proper time, God will give you an unmistakable sign, a confirmation in your spirit that acts as a great neon arrow that points you in the right direction to walk in His will. Keep walking! Keep watching! Keep praying! God has a wonderful destination for you when you finally get where He is leading you to. No matter how many detours you have to take, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus!