"And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not pass over it, and fools shall not err therein(Isaiah 35:8)."
Xanth novels used to be a guilty pleasure of mine. If you can take the writer's verbage, and also put aside the sexual suggestiveness of most of the novels, you can find spiritual metaphors in the plot.
One of such metaphors is the Magic Path. In Xanth novels, the Magic Path protected people, just as long as they kept on it and didn't wander off into the bush. People that walked on it were protected from dangers like Nickelpedes and other magical creatures. It seems to be a metaphor for what Isaiah says in Chapter 35. "No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the ransomed shall walk there(v.9)."
Not surprisingly, people in Xanth novels always seemed to stray from the Magic Path, ending up in all sorts of crazy adventures. The plot wouldn't have been very interesting otherwise.
The people who strayed from the Magic Path suffered sorely for it. Generally, it was not a good idea, even if it made their lives `interesting.' For the most part, being attacked or possibly killed wasn't worth the interest.
In our lives, when we stray from the path of righteousness, things also get `interesting.' When we stray from righteousness, the lions and ferocious beasts of life can attack us, and possibly kill us. But the blood of Jesus brings us back on the path once again, where we are safe from harm. This is far more than mere magic. The path of righteousness is guarded by the power of God. It's our duty to stay on the path, and not get sidetracked from it. If you're wandering off the trail, you're taking a dangerous chance. If you're straying, ask God to bring you back on the Straight and Narrow.
Dear Father in heaven, please keep me on the paths of righteousness. Amen.