Tempted?

Temptation comes to all of us. For some it comes when we are as close to God, enjoying a new nugget of truth from his word. For others it comes when we are severely weak in the flesh and very susceptible to falling. While for others it comes when things, naturally speaking are going well, with family, job or relationships in general.

For Joseph in our daily reading of today, temptation came to him at one of these “opportune” times. Things were going well for him. He was successful. There was not even an iota of a problem. We might ask why would temptation come to him all of sudden? After all, didn’t God know he was working hard and being faithful, despite the fact that he was a slave? Whatever the reason, temptation did come to him. Unfairly it was at the pinnacle of his prestigious job as a master steward in the house of the Captain of the national guard of the greatest ruler in the world, Pharoah.

Thankfully, Joseph was able to handle his temptation, and deny his flesh. He didn’t let the successes experienced lead to lust for more. He could have easily had his master’s wife, after all he was in charge of the master’s entire estate. Yet he withstood his ground. When finally he couldn’t handle it anymore, as the pressure to sin intensified, he did what amazes us all, he fled. He literally ran away from the arms of his master’s wife. He fled as fast as he could, as far away as he could go. Joseph understood that to sin would not only hurt his master, and not only damage Joseph’s integrity, but ultimately it would severely hamper his relationship with God.

How do you handle temptation? Do you think you are too spiritual to fall? How far do you distance yourself even from the possibility of the minutest of sins. Scripture promises us failure if we act in pride and believe we will never fall (Galatians 6 and 2 Corinthians 10).

My prayer is that you would so fear God, that you will literally run from temptation, and that God’s holiness will envelope you and literally prevent you from falling to temptation.

Peace and Love