Follow Your Heart?

From today's email:

I read from Genesis 32, 33, 34, and 35 tonight. Once again, the story of Jacob's family is resumed and more chapters are added to their saga. There are a few phrases in these passages that especially peaked my interest, and I thought I'd share them with you:

32:1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

32:24-26 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. ²⁵ When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. ²⁶ Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

I love how both of these passages mention a sudden, startling encounter with God or his angels, yet there is little detail, and the story is told simply, without drama. The power of the story comes from its truth: after meeting God as Jacob met him, neither you nor I would ever be the same, as Jacob was not that same from then on. He was learning poignant lessons about struggling against God and trusting him. Jacob's life was marred by lifelong deceit, fear, and sin, but he learned, throughout his life, the power of God as an eyewitness in way that few people have ever experienced. At some point during this sudden wrestling match in the darkness, Jacob realized his opponent was God himself, for when dawn came and he was overpowered, he resiliently held on and boldly asked to be blessed. He realized that a match with God would never be won, especially by physical force, but by faith he still believed God's promises to him of special blessing.

We must ask God to make us like this. We, too, desire faith and gritty resolve to cling to God even when it is desperately painful and frightening all around us and we do not understand what is going on. We hold on and believe his faithful promises.

Also, as we're talking about godly womanhood this year, you might note the tragic tale of Jacob's daughter Dinah, who, on her family's pilgrimage, "went out to see the women of the land," and was raped by a pagan prince. When the young prince and his father asked for her to become his wife, her brothers tricked the men of the pagan city into performing circumcision, and while they were all sore and healing, the two brothers murdered every man in the city. Sure, the brothers were right to be incensed over the crime against their sister, but they reacted without consulting their father or God, and their revenge far outweighed an appropriate punishment for the crime. Nonetheless, they showed no remorse, but rationalized their terrible sin of mass murder by shrugging their shoulders.

Interesting to note is that the only phrase about Dinah herself, "went out to see the women of the land," may have a negative connotation. The same phrase, "women of the land," only occurs once elsewhere, in Genesis 27:46, when Rebekah complains about Esau marrying pagan women who made her life miserable. So I am left to wonder: why did Dinah go out to see these women? Where exactly did she go? Was she sneaking out alone to a pagan city? Did she make friends with rowdy women and associate with bad company? Did she want to look or behave like them? It would seem that Dinah may not have been a particularly wise young woman. For her to go out alone in a strange country, in that ancient culture, would have been very forward and unwise--and unsafe, as we see. Also, she caught the eye of the prince of the land---how? Was she flirtatious? Posing as a prostitute? Or innocently minding her own business? We don't know. But we can see that she ultimately ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong people. How she got there, we can only surmise.

Think on it carefully, and fast forward a few thousand years. You are much like Dinah, in a pagan culture, with dozens of opportunities to make yourself vulnerable. And I am not talking about big, bad, obvious sins like taking up rowdy all-night partying with nonbelievers. What about . . . harboring secret desires to go away to a college where you can finally "be your own woman" and be in charge of your own life? How about . . . having online discussions that you wouldn't want your parents to see? How about . . . dreaming up fantasies in your mind in which you're always the heroine? How about . . . resenting your parents' guidelines to not wear certain clothing that you rationalize as "harmless," or "just my style," but which you secretly know may be a bit too revealing? How about . . . feeling so discontent with your current situation that you're just "holding out" for that perfect man to come rescue you. How about . . . [insert any other thing in your heart that isn't surrendered to God]. These things have the potential to gnaw away at your souls, weakening your defense.

God has given you safeguards for a reason. Parents. Siblings. Church family. Wise friends. Rules. To protect you. Poor Dinah--lost in the shuffle amidst twelve brothers and possibly other sisters, a lying, cheating grandfather, a feuding mother and step-mother, and a father plagued with character flaws--either didn't have the safeguards in place to protect her, or they were there and she disregarded them, setting the stage for a horrendous encounter that would follow her the rest of her life.

Examine your own life situation, your secret pulling at the reigns, your dreams of "freedom" and independence, and ask God to show you if your heart desires things that could harm you or leave you unprotected. We are not really half so strong as we imagine--physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Let him be the gatekeeper of your heart, and don't let your affections out to roam--they'll lead you astray every time. :)
Disney and Pixar may say, "Follow your heart!" but we know the truth:  

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)