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Lord, Give Me Faster Legs to Run
Joseph has to be one of the most thrilling characters to appear on the Bible stage. You know the scene in Potiphar’s house? Genesis 39:7 says: “his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
No Christians around to know about it.
No family to find out.
No father near to disappoint.
“Besides, life’s been rough. I can’t take it any longer. If God had been kinder to me, I wouldn’t even think of doing this – but I need a break and this will make me feel better. After all, I’m no different than any young guy. Any guy in my situation…….and well, who else is paying attention to me, at least she is!”
Wrong!! That’s NOT how the story goes. That’s how the story goes in Proverbs but NOT in Joseph’s biography!
The young man in Proverbs 7:21-27 didn’t run. He stood there and listened to her enticing words.
“With her much fair speech she caused him to yield,
with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
He goeth after her….as an ox goeth to the slaughter…
as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life….
she hath cast down many wounded….”
Joseph, what did you say to her?
I said: “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
Genesis 39:9
Today, Joseph could have filed an employment harassment complaint. Back then, it says he hearkened not unto her. He refused to commit sexual sin with her. And then it says he made sure he wasn’t even with her. He took maximum precautions to avoid even being in her presence. He did his best to stay out of the DANGER ZONE.
But then one day it happened. She got physical and put her hands on him and instantaneously, his God-fearing impulse and prior-resolve to honor the Lord caused him to FLEE! And that’s what God wants you and me to do, FLEE!
“Flee fornication.”
1Corinthians 6:18
Had Joseph given in to his natural desires, it would be a sad chapter to read in his otherwise stellar biography. One bad mistake equals one dark, haunting chapter. Our entire testimony and credibility can go down the tubes in just minutes. Thankfully, no such chapter ever had to be written for Joseph.
How do we cultivate the God-fearing impulse? The daily thoughtful and prayerful reading of our Bibles will make us sensitive to sin and will keep our conscience regulated. An ongoing appreciation of the sufferings of Christ (caused by sin) will cause us to flee from sin.
What about a prior-resolve to honor the Lord? Usually it is too late to think sensibly when we are in the heat of the situation. For safety purposes, our daily morning prayer should be: “Lord, preserve me from giving in to temptation. I do not want to do anything that would dishonour Your Name in any way. Lord give me faster legs to run as fast and as far away from the temptation as I possibly can.”
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay