Devotion
An eye for an eye…
David Jacobs
There have been a number of salacious scandals in Hollywood recently where men in positions of power have abused it, forcing women to sleep with them. This subject has sparked the #metoo movement, with women around the world joining together to share their stories of sexual abuse. It has shed light on a great tragedy of global society: women are often the targets of sexual abuse and rape and their voices have been ignored and they have had difficulty protecting themselves. The question arises: what is the best way to protect women and eliminate sexual abuse? This question has been pondered for thousands of years. Let us turn to the scripture.
In these verses, Jacob's daughter, Dinah, is raped by Shechem. In the time that this was written and even today in some countries, a woman that is raped shoulders a large part of the blame. I am a man and have a wife, daughter, and sister, and it is hard to know how I would react if any of them were victims of similar abuse. I honestly do not know how I would react, but an evil action like this often generates an evil repercussion. In these verses, the sons of Jacob fool Hamor and his sons, including Shechem, into getting circumcised so that they will be allowed to marry Jacob's daughters. Again, as a man, I can imagine how uncomfortable an adult circumcision would feel, and Jacob's sons use this opportunity to kill all of the men in Hamor's camp to avenge their sister's defilement. The evil that Shechem sparks by defiling Dinah only begets more evil.
As Christians, we are told to turn the other cheek to an enemy that strikes us, but how can we protect ourselves? In my opinion, the #metoo movement is a good example of a positive and constructive attempt to reduce or eliminate sexual abuse. Unlike the sons of Jacob, we should not just consider our case; we must consider all cases. By working together and shedding new light on the situation, we can fight evil with good. Light will shine in the darkness, and the darkness will not overtake it. (John 1:5)
Prayer
Remember these verses the next time you feel the urge to hurt another person. Fighting evil with evil is like fighting fire with fire: it only creates more evil. We should turn the other cheek to show others an example of good instead of evil. Join with other Christians by doing good and we can show the entire world what good is.
Night Prayer
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
Inspiration
Delilah asks Samson what makes him strong so his enemies can attack him in his weakness. Satan is like a lion, constantly on the prowl, searching out our weakness and working diligently to distract us from the path of righteousness. We rely on the Holy Spirit to help us focus when the enemy tries to trick us. We are thankful for the Holy Spirit's presence and guidance every moment of our earthly lives.
Prayer
Dear Father, We praise You for the presence of Your Spirit in our daily lives. Please continue to encourage us to remain watchful as Satan plans his attack. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Law of Life
Frances Taylor
Freedom! Doesn't it sound great? We all want freedom, but what is true freedom? According to Paul it is freedom in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ. Unfortunately, most of us don't want freedom, they want license. Freedom does not mean that a person can do whatever he/she wants. We are given free will so that we can choose the GOOD. My freedom ends where yours begins and there are people who forget that.
When we follow Jesus law of love we are truly free. We don't even have to worry about the commandments because they are all based on love – love of God and love of others. Later in Romans, Paul talks about this in a question about the obligation of the Jewish people to follow the law as opposed to the Christians who are no longer subject to the law because they need to follow the way of love. We must follow civil laws, but first we must know them. For example, we must know the speed limit and follow it when we drive. We must know tax laws, ...