READING:
One-year plan: Genesis 39:1-41:36, Matthew 13:1-30
Two-year plan: Genesis 23:1-24:20, Matthew 7-24-8:13
———-
I can only assume it was difficult for Joseph. He was young and handsome. She was a seductress, the powerful wife of Joseph’s master. She, too, was hardly unclear about her goals: she wanted Joseph to sleep with her. The allure must have been powerful, especially for a young man—and even more so because Potiphar’s wife didn’t give up easily.
Nevertheless, so faithful was Joseph to his master and his God that he would not give in to any temptations she threw his way. His master had honored him with authority, and Joseph would not betray him. Even more importantly, he would not sin against his God by committing such an evil. In his godly wisdom and moral courage, he denied Potiphar’s wife (even though she would eventually accuse him falsely of attack). His respect for his master and his God was so great that he could not fathom surrendering to the woman’s advances.
We are wise to learn the same. When temptation comes, we should avoid giving in so we do not dishonor or shame those who love us; at the same time, we should always want to obey God. That combination is a powerful one in temptation: family and friends who love and respect us, and a God who adores us. Sin loses its appeal when we realize it could cost us much in relationships—and “no” then becomes easier to say to the enemy.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: How susceptible to Potiphar’s wife’s advances might you have been?
PRAYER: “God, let me glorify and honor You, and let me worship You.”
TOMORROW’S READINGS:
One-year plan: Genesis 41:37-43:34, Matthew 13:31-58
Two-year plan: Genesis 24:21-67, Matthew 8:14-27
