When God blesses us and keeps us as a blessing to others, Satan is dissatisfied and is angry. He does everything he can to thwart God's purpose in our lives. Evangelist Billy Graham said, "Don't think of Satan as a harmless cartoon character with red suit and a pitchfork. He is very powerful and clever, and his unchanging purpose is to defeat God's plan at every turn- including His plans for your life." Our thought for reflection this morning is "Our God is aware of our temptations and He gives us His grace to overcome them."
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he refused"
(Genesis 39:6-8a).
Baptist minister Rev John Piper said, "Sin gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier". Potiphar's wife was attracted by Joseph's handsome looks. Satan must have tempted Joseph by saying that he could be happier by yielding to her advances and temptation. But Joseph did not yield to Satan's temptations.
1. God gives grace to overcome temptations when we are determined to keep ourselves holy.
The Bible bluntly says that when the temptation came to Joseph from Potiphar's wife, "...he (Joseph) refused" (Genesis 39:8). When God saw Joseph's determination to keep himself holy, He helped him to overcome sin and temptation. Whenever we are tempted are we determined to resist and to keep ourselves holy?
2. God gives grace to overcome temptation when we are determined to be heaven conscious.
When Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph to do a "wicked thing" he said, "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God"(Genesis 39:9). She looked around but Joseph looked above as he was always God conscious. Joseph was always aware that he wouldn't be able to hide anything from God. Are we God conscious when we are tempted?
Franklin Graham said "We can be tempted and tested when we are full of the Spirit. In fact many of the greatest temptations confront us when we are in the centre of the will of God, because, being there has offset and frustrated Satan's method of attack". But the Bible says "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in everyway just as we are- yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
Let's pray: "Dear Lord, give me the determination to guard my holiness. Help me to be God conscious always especially when I am tempted. Thank you for your grace which is always there to help me when I am determined to be holy and fear you with the consciousness that you are watching me always!
In Jesus' name,... Amen!"
Blessings!