Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”
Our Bible verse for today: “She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.” Genesis 39:12 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Don’t surrender your integrity in an attempt to make the tough times easier.”
Joseph had a problem. He was young and good looking, and his master’s wife was bored and frustrated. One day she decided she’d like to get to know him better (a lot better) and so she tried to seduce him, but Joseph refused. This attempt at seduction went on for days and days until finally one day the woman literally grabbed his robe and yanked it off of him, leaving Joseph standing there in his birthday suit. There was certainly a short moment of stunned silence as each of them stood there considering the situation (a pregnant pause if you will), then to his credit Joseph sprinted out the door – naked.
Please understand that this wasn’t just a moral dilemma for Joseph. This was more than just resisting the temptation to have sex with another man’s wife. He was a slave. She was the master’s wife. He was legally obligated to do whatever she commanded him to do and if he didn’t, she had the power to literally destroy him.
The easiest thing for Joseph to do would have been to give-in, enjoy the moment, and hope that Potipher never found out. But to do that Joseph would have had to surrender his integrity. He would have had to sin against God. But he wouldn’t do it. He would rather take his chances with a spurned woman than with a dishonored God. So Joseph decided to honor God, keep his integrity, and deal with the consequences as best he could.
And how did that work for him? Not so well. He ended up spending years in prison, falsely convicted of a sexual assault he never committed. He should have just given-in and had the affair right? Wrong. Because Joseph honored God, God honored Joseph. It was during the prison years that God prepared Joseph for the honor and glory that was to come in his life. Soon he would be delivered from the prison and given the second most powerful position in the entire kingdom of Egypt (I’ve often wondered how Joseph dealt with Potipher’s wife once he assumed his position of authority).
The lesson we should learn from Joseph’s story is that it’s never ok to surrender your integrity in an attempt to find a short-cut out of a difficult situation. You can be sure that Satan will present you with plenty of opportunities to take those unethical, immoral, or illegal short-cuts which promise to get you out of the wilderness faster. But if you lie, cheat, or steal not only will you compromise your integrity, but you will sin against God, and there will be no way He can bless that.
So hang in there. Do the right thing. God will get you through this and when it’s all over, your integrity will be intact and your reputation will be untarnished.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 