How Could I?

“And after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused. ‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 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?’” - Genesis 39:8-9


Over the last couple of days, we have discussed the life of Joseph, a boy favored by his father and hated by his brothers. They hated him so much that they threw him in a ditch and sold him. He was sold twice before ending up in Egypt. He did not ask for the situation he was in. It certainly was not ideal, but Joseph continued to obey God.

As Joseph was faithfully serving under the command of Potiphar, he caught the eyes of Potiphar’s wife. She encouraged him to go to bed with her, not just once, but numerous times. Now, Joseph, who has had so many bad things happen to him, things he did not ask for, is given a chance to experience a little bit of pleasure.

For many people, this would be their opportunity. They might say, “After all I’ve been through, I deserve this.” Or maybe “I know it isn’t right but so much bad has happened, it would be nice just to have something good for once.” If anyone had any excuse to mess up, it was Joseph.

But you know what? He didn’t. He stayed faithful to God. Even though he was dealing with less than ideal circumstances, he told her in Genesis 39:9, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Even though God is the one who has allowed him to go through all these difficult situations, he still refuses to sin against God.

Are you facing adversity? No matter who you are, you either have faced it, are facing it, or will face it. It is in these moments that it is so easy to give in to Satan’s temptations, but you must stand strong. Remember, God is only allowing these times for your good. He is going to use these difficult situations for your good. “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”