Judges 14:1–2: “Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, ‘I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.’”

April 28th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The story of one of Israel’s judges, Samson, begins and ends with Samson displaying a fatal weakness for Philistine women. He traveled 4 miles southwest of Zorah to Timnah, a Philistine city on the border, a place where a child of God should not even be seen. Nevertheless, Samson went and saw a Philistine woman that he desired to have as a wife. He thought he could play with fire and not get burned, and he fell in lust with a woman he shouldn’t have even been around. Sadly, Samson didn’t make this mistake just once, but over and over again. Samson compromised his relationship with God by bringing women who weren’t believers into his life.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “do not be unequally yoked” (2 Cor. 6:14). When a believer and a non-believer marry, these two equal halves of one flesh, disagree on who should be at the center of their lives. In fact, a believer really has no business even dating a non-Christian. Those who do, run a serious risk of falling in love with someone to their own hurt, as Samson did. We need to be careful to protect our relationship with the Lord by protecting our hearts. We can learn a valuable lesson from Samson. Our relationship with Jesus should be so important to us that we are constantly on our guard not to do anything or allow anything into our lives that would compromise or weaken that relationship.

“LORD, keep us from falling this day. We desire to walk with You, and we ask that you would protect us from distractions as we walk where we are supposed to be walking.”