August 14
“…his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ’…How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?’ And it came about as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her to lie beside her, or be with her….And she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.” (Genesis 39:7-10)
Joseph amazes me with his focus, discipline, and commitment to God in the very difficult situation of being a slave in Egypt. If you aren’t familiar with the story, I encourage you to read Genesis 37 to 47. Chapters 37 and 39 are the chapters that impress me the most, and on the basis of Joseph’s faithfulness demonstrated in these chapters, I believe God blessed him and made him great in Egypt.
Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes: treated harshly, betrayed, and sold into slavery by his own brothers, he found himself a servant to a man who worshipped idols. He could have easily felt sorry for himself, but there is no indication that he did. He could have said to himself, “God has forsaken me and treated me very harshly, so why should I keep serving Him? He obviously is not for me, so I might as well do what I want to do and what makes me feel good.”
If anyone had the right to feel rejected and abandoned, it seems to me that Joseph did. And this continued for years. Yet Joseph maintained his integrity before God and did not sin, even when he was pressed hard day after day to commit adultery with a powerful woman who probably was attractive and wise in the ways of the world. And then, as a reward for his faithful obedience to avoid sinning with Potiphar’s wife, he was thrown into prison for several more years!
Now think about your own situation. How do you respond when you have tried to be faithful and things just seem to unravel around you? Have you ever felt rejected and abandoned by just about everyone, including God? Have you ever felt like you were being punished severely and unfairly, far beyond any sin or wrong doing of your own? How do you respond to suffering? Do you turn to sinful activities and fleshly indulgences, or do you maintain your integrity before God, like Joseph did?
Sometimes we are tested in severe ways, and during those times the temptation to turn to the lusts of the flesh as a way of escape can be very great. We may deceive ourselves into thinking that God doesn’t care about us, so why should we care about Him? We might be tempted to not care what the consequences might be if we open the door to sin. But God does care, and He will rescue us if we are faithful to Him. Look at Joseph. Look at Jesus. Look at Daniel and his faithful friends. He will not abandon us or forsake us. He cares deeply about us. But like Joseph, God may be getting you ready for a very great work indeed. He may be allowing you to be tested; first you must pass the tests of overcoming temptations of immorality before He will rescue you and bless you. Are you passing His test?