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Samson’s Dating Advice

Read: Judges 14
One of the Philistine women caught [Samson’s] eye (v.1).

Before I met and eventually married my husband, I tried online dating. The matchmaking service promised to weed through zillions of searching singles to find the most compatible matches. So I hunched over the keyboard and filled out the compatibility questionnaire. It took hours, but I was ready for some help on deciding whom to date.

Samson is infamous for his messed-up love life. Taking a look at his romantic mistakes can help us head off some personal heartache. The trouble began for the man with the flowing mane when he noticed a young lady who didn’t share his faith. “One of the Philistine women caught his eye” (Judges 14:1). The Philistines were pagans, and Samson was an Israelite who had been dedicated to God from birth (Judges 13:5). Mistake #1: We’re inviting heartbreak when we pursue people who don’t believe in Jesus.

Even though the Philistine woman wasn’t a spiritual match, Samson said, “She looks good to me” (Judges 14:3), and decided to marry her. Appearances can be deceiving—whether it’s a sparkling smile, beautiful hair, or even chivalrous conduct. Mistake #2: We’re headed for trouble when we sprint into relationships based on a person’s outward show alone.

Samson’s parents asked him to take another look at the local single girls (Judges 14:3), but he refused. He didn’t listen to the advice of the people who knew him best. Mistake #3: We’re in trouble when we refuse to listen to close friends and family who can be more objective than us when starry-eyed excitement clouds our thinking.

Samson went on to marry his Philistine sweetheart, but then had to endure a forced separation from her. If he could give us dating advice, it might go something like this: Date people who share your faith. Don’t dwell solely on outward appearances and actions. And listen to godly input from people who know you well.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Judges 16:1-21

Reflect

Why is it sometimes difficult to apply biblical wisdom to our romantic lives? How is Samson’s advice on dating different from the world’s?

Taken from “Our Daily Journey”