The Decision | Genesis 39
Have you ever said, “I just couldn’t resist it?” “I told the Lord that if the parking spot right in front of Crumbl Cookie is open then I will know it is a sign from you.” So, after driving around the store 6 times and on the 7th, the spot
right up front opens up. You know it is a miracle and must be the will of God. Has anything like that ever happened to you? Do you have some area of weakness or difficulty that is hard to resist? You end up doing it, buying it, eating it, clicking on it, watching it, drinking it, smoking it, betting on it or telling someone all about it. Did you know that not every opportunity is from the Lord? Sometimes opportunities are temptations in disguise. We all struggle with temptation and doing things we know we are not supposed to do. It is not a sin to be tempted, but sadly many of us fall to temptation because we don’t know how to overcome. Oscar Wilde said, “I can resist anything but temptation.” The good news is that there is One who has overcome temptation and if we trust in Him, we can overcome temptation as well by His strength.
In the life of Joseph, we see the providence of God. God’s providence is the working of his power to uphold, guide and care for His people. What we have seen thus far is that “all things come not by chance, but by God’s fatherly hand.” When it comes to temptation, God does not tempt or cause us to sin. But God does allow us to be tempted to test our faith and trust in Him to overcome it. In Genesis 39, we see the events that surrounded Joseph’s temptation and how he serves as an example of trusting God to overcome it.