March 15 – Judges 11:34-40
March 15 – Judges 11:34-40
34 Then
Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to
meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides
her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And as soon
as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have
brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For
I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and
I cannot take back my vow.” 36 And she said to him,
“My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth,
now that the Lord has
avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” 37 So
she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two
months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I
and my companions.” 38 So he said, “Go.” Then he
sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and
wept for her virginity on the mountains. 39 And at
the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her
according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became
a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel
went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in
the year.
The
courage, respect and submissiveness of Jephthan’s
daughter is a stark constrast to his selfishness and foolishness.
Are
you struggling with pridefulness, selfishness and/or foolishness? Take heart, it’s part of our sinful nature
that we all struggle with from time to time.
However, we can work to become more obedient and Christ like as we
strive to learn the attributes of Christ.
Do
you have Christian friends, relatives or acquaintances that you can learn from
as a mentor? Pray for God to show you
his way and send a Christian selfless mentor to help you in your pursuit to be
more like Christ.
Heavenly Father, help me
be as obedient as Jephthan’s daughter. I
can’t imagine the strength it took for her to willingly give herself in a
situation that was senseless although necessary once her father promised
God. Help me be wise in the promises I
make and seek You in all my decisions. Thank
You for always keeping Your promises!
In
Jesus’ name.
Amen!
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