“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Wise Men

I’m intrigued by the wise men of the Christmas story. In a time when communication over long distances was very difficult, all they had to go by was a star. Yet their devotion, their sense of calling and purpose was so strong that they traveled hundreds (thousands?) of miles to see and worship the “King” that the star heralded.

We don’t really know all the details about the wise men—we’re not even certain that there were three. There are legends, stories, and traditions mixed in with the biblical text. But the essence of the story remains the same—they came a long way to see the new King, riding camels or horses, bringing gifts, and following some sign they saw in the sky.

It took a long time, so they were very serious about what they were doing. They were on a mission to find the new King and worship Him. They even stopped to ask for help from Herod in getting directions, which brought about a series of events that threatened the life of the baby Jesus. Then they journeyed on—until they found Him.

It must have seemed strange to Mary and Joseph to have three strangers show up with expensive gifts explaining they had traveled from far away to come worship “the King.” But I guess everything about the birth of Jesus was so different that by then it might have seemed normal. From everything we know, it wasn’t a long visit. They worshiped and then they began the journey to return back home. I have to assume that they somehow knew the way because there was no star to follow on the return journey.

I recently heard someone speaking of this narrative, explaining why the three wise men are called wise. It’s not because they were of superior intelligence. It wasn’t because of their titles or positions. It’s because when God spoke to them in a dream to tell them to change their plans and go a different way than what they had planned—they obeyed. They were “wise” because of their humility in obeying—they were willing to change their plans in obedience to God’s Word as they journeyed home.

Whoever, whatever these men were—where they came from, how far they traveled, what gifts they gave, we have often centered our attention on those aspects of the story. But I think one of the key takeaways is their heart of obedience—first to travel the long distance and fulfill the mission on their heart, and then to be willing to change their plans when God spoke.

How many times do we have plans—good plans, plans we’ve prayed about, plans that we think God has led us in—and then there’s a change. We feel we’re to do something different. All the work, all the effort, all the preparation is negated. It can feel like a big waste. It’s hard to throw it all out and do something different. We don’t like or want to change.

I’ve had this happen a number of times in my life. I’ve learned that the key is to have an open heart to hear from the Lord—and be willing to change everything at His direction. I’ve sometimes argued with the Lord about this. “What about all the work I’ve done? What about all the expense that’s gone into the preparation? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

We don’t have to know the answers, the reasons—all we need is to have open hearts to follow the voice of the Lord in what He tells us to do or not do. It’s that simple. The wise men showed us that.

Father, we are grateful that we don’t have to rely on our own wisdom for all our plans and decisions. You are a faithful guide. You will show us the way, just as You did for the wise men.