Genesis 39:9 – “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (NIV)
Everybody is going to be tempted to walk the path opposite of God’s way and do what is expedient rather than what is right. The other day, I was sitting on the porch with someone after dark and they had one of those blue light bug zappers. I kept hearing the zaps of bugs responding to a temptation of the attractive light and getting fried. You would think the bugs would wise up and notice that the tray in the light was littered with the fried bodies of their buddies. No bug ever does that. The light is too tempting. The bugs rationalize, get too close, and, zap. Everybody gets tempted to sin. Sin is very attractive, but it has deadly consequences. Sometimes, we are like those dumb bugs. How do you handle temptation? You handle it like Joseph and walk by faith. When you are walking by faith as if God’s word is true, your life is driven by a desire to please God rather than to please yourself. Joseph dealt with a sexual temptation and what he said to that temptation was, “How can I do this wickedness and sin against God?” Joseph lived a God-saturated life and wanted to please God. You can never go wrong by doing what is right. Walking by faith, you focus on pleasing God and not yourself. Keep walking by faith and when you do, you can walk away from temptation.
Everybody is going to be tempted to walk the path opposite of God’s way and do what is expedient rather than what is right. The other day, I was sitting on the porch with someone after dark and they had one of those blue light bug zappers. I kept hearing the zaps of bugs responding to a temptation of the attractive light and getting fried. You would think the bugs would wise up and notice that the tray in the light was littered with the fried bodies of their buddies. No bug ever does that. The light is too tempting. The bugs rationalize, get too close, and, zap. Everybody gets tempted to sin. Sin is very attractive, but it has deadly consequences. Sometimes, we are like those dumb bugs. How do you handle temptation? You handle it like Joseph and walk by faith. When you are walking by faith as if God’s word is true, your life is driven by a desire to please God rather than to please yourself. Joseph dealt with a sexual temptation and what he said to that temptation was, “How can I do this wickedness and sin against God?” Joseph lived a God-saturated life and wanted to please God. You can never go wrong by doing what is right. Walking by faith, you focus on pleasing God and not yourself. Keep walking by faith and when you do, you can walk away from temptation.
– Dr. Tim Thompson