Today’s reading: Genesis 34:1-4
Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, takes leave of her family to mingle with and “see the women of the land” (vs. 1). Although the text of Genesis 34 doesn’t specifically tell us why Dinah decided to seek out these women (to socialize, seek friendships, discover current fashions or trends), her actions placed her in an unsafe situation–physically and spiritually. And the choice to engage and interact with the ungodly culture around her, resulted in personal tragedy and, as we’ll see in tomorrow’s reading, the senseless killing of many people.
When I was growing up my dad and mom would frequently tell my brother and me “If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.” They were reminding and cautioning us to be selective about who we were hanging out with and mindful of where we went and the situations in which we placed ourselves. The pull of the world is strong. Even when we don’t intend to do anything wrong, putting ourselves in a risky situation is unwise–because we aren’t always as strong as we think we are, and even if we don’t give in to temptation, bad things can happen to us.
How much thought do you give to the places you go and the people you choose to hang out with? Do you think about possible temptations and the risks or dangerous circumstances you might encounter? Based on this account, why is this important? Tami
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Source: Tami’s Blog
