READING:
One-year plan: Genesis 37-40
Two-year plan: 2 Chronicles 35:20-36:23, Acts 9:36-10:8
———-
Joseph was clearly God’s called man, and the Lord was with him. Still, he was susceptible to the wiles of the devil. Potiphar’s wife had made numerous, blatant, shameless attempts to sleep with Joseph (a young, good-looking man she had noticed), but he rightly rejected her advances. She could not pull him into her proposed sin.
Why not? First, Joseph would not abuse the trust of his master, Potiphar, who had given Joseph access to everything – except his wife. The woman was somebody else’s wife, so why would Joseph commit an evil act with her? Second, Joseph knew his actions would be a sin against his God. Yes, his actions would be against his master, Potiphar, but the stakes were even higher than that. To succumb to the woman’s temptations would have been for Joseph to offend His Creator, the God of the people of Israel.
How wise it would be for us to consider at least these questions when temptation strikes:
- Who trusts me and my walk with God in such a way that he or she would be wounded by my sin?
- Do I love God enough to say to myself, to others, and to the enemy, “I do not want to sin against my God”?
- Am I willing and ready to flee from the temptation?
PERSONAL REFLECTION: How do you typically respond when temptation strikes?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, help me to flee evil.”
TOMORROW’S READINGS:
One-year plan: Genesis 41-43
Two-year plan: Ezra 1:1-2:31, Acts 10:9-33
MEMORIZATION VERSE (JAN 1-15):
“A son was born to Seth also, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.” (Gen 4:26)
