A moment of pain due to following God’s commandments is worth an eternity of glory in
God’s eternal Kingdom.
Yes, Joseph could have easily succumbed to the seduction of Potiphar’s wife and enjoy the pleasure
of sin. But “how can [he] do this great wickedness, and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9)? Instead of
giving in to temptation, he “left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside” (verse 13).
Notice the determination of Joseph. He did not just walked away from temptation, but he FLED and
RAN. This is the type of vehement hatred every Christian should have against sin. We hated sin so
much that we don’t want to even get near to it.
Satan is very wise and would present sin as something desirable. Don’t be deceived. Sin will always
be sin. You will never be able to escape its ugly and deadly effect. God had set a spiritual law in
motion that whoever sin will have to suffer its consequences.
Yes, sin can bring fleeting physical pleasures, but we need to remember that it will never last
because sooner or later, you will have to face its negative effects. On the other hand, obeying God
will bring blessings both in this life and the life to come.
So choose wisely. Will you enjoy sin for just a brief moment or will you suffer now but enjoy God’s
full blessings for eternity?
Lesson no. 5: Obedience to God’s commandment brings lasting blessings
It is undeniable that living God’s way of life is tough. We can read from the scripture numerous
passages that tell us how difficult it is to answer God’s calling.
As this might be the case, we need to remember that we will ultimately reap what we sow. Even
though a Christian’s life may be filled with hardships, God promises us that He will always be there
to support us. He will always supply our needs for “every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning” (James 1:17).
Obedience to God is a proof of your faith. Disobedience is a proof of disbelief.
Yes, our Christian walk may lead us to an inconvenient life. However, we must also remember that
not obeying God will also lead to inconvenient and sad situations. So whichever road you choose, it
will still lead to a difficult life. So why not choose the life God has called us to live? This way, our
life has meaning and direction unlike to just going with the flow of sin’s influences.
We have seen the living faith of Joseph. His faith is not an “intellectual faith” that only remained in
his mind. He habitually demonstrated acts of faith that serve as an evidence of his faith.
This must teach every Christian something today. Faith is dead if you don’t have any works (James
2:17).
When our faith is tested and proven to be genuine, we are positioning ourselves under the blessings
of God. We must not forget that following God will result to blessings that we will enjoy not just
during this life, but also during the life to come.
Of course, God will not bless us because we are righteous and we are entitled of his blessings. He
blesses us because of his love and mercy. As this might be the case, God still expects us to follow His
commandments for his commandments lead to eternal life (John 12:50).
Conclusion
Joseph’s story gives us an idea how God works in the grand scheme of things. God knows every
detail of our lives. He is our Father and like an earthly father, “no good thing will He withhold from
those who walk uprightly” (Psalms 84:11).
The lessons from the life of Joseph are POWERFUL. We need to remember that these lessons will
be useless if we don’t put it into practice.
At the end of the story of Joseph, he said, “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with
yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life… So now it
was not you who sent me here, but God” (Genesis 45:5, 8).
Joseph understands that all the events that had happened in his life were according to God’s plan.
You can also have the faith that God has a plan for you and He is currently working with you. God is
not yet done. So be patient and let God direct your life.
Jeremiah 30:17
15
'For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'Because they have called you an
outcast, saying: "It is Zion; no one cares for her."