Scripture Focus:
“And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem… and he bought a parcel of a field… and he
erected there an altar.” Genesis 33:18–20
Jacob arrived at Shechem and decided to settle there. He had the money, so he bought land
and made himself comfortable. But Shechem was not the place God had told him to return to,
Bethel was. Still, he pitched his tent there and built an altar to the Lord, trying to use God as a
cover for a misplaced decision. Many of us do the same, we choose locations, jobs or
relationships out of convenience, then try to wrap them with religious activity to justify our
decision.
You can’t go where you like and drag God into it. You go where God is and join Him there.
Place matters. Shechem means “shoulder,” but it became a burden to Jacob’s household. It
was in Shechem that Dinah was violated and tragedy struck. Serving God in the wrong place
brings unnecessary battles. When you miss God’s location, you risk harming yourself and those
connected to you.
Prayer:
Lord, help me not to settle in comfort zones You didn’t ordain. Lead me to the place You’ve
chosen for me. Amen.
Further Reading: Genesis 34:1–2, Genesis 35:1, Psalm 32:8