Planning to Win

“No one will ever know…”

“Who says you can’t…”

“You work hard, you deserve this…”

If you are like me, these thoughts go around in my head many, many times during the day.  These are the moments when a giant named “Temptation” comes and secretly whispers in my ear. 

How do we handle that giant when he comes to lure us away? One thing we can guarantee, he is coming.  He is out to deceive you into thinking that it is okay. After all, you are human and everyone does it. 

I am reading in these first days of the year through the book of Genesis.  We are introduced to Abraham and God’s promise to him and his sons to give them land and descendants to live in that land. As we witness the faithfulness of God in bringing that to pass, we are introduced to the character of these people. We learn who God blesses and how His presence goes with those who walk in humble obedience to His revelation. Through the grammatical device of repetition, we are taught that God’s presence goes with those who walk in integrity. 

We come to Genesis 39, and we read the phrase, “The Lord was with him…” I don’t know about you but I need His presence every single day! I need Him in my marriage, in my work, in my relationships with others, and especially I need Him in my intimate self talk/walk where nobody else is looking. Joseph knew he was such a man, too! In the face of daily temptation to do what seemed to be the natural thing to do, Joseph responded, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

Full stop! Think about what we just read! Here is a red blooded young man in the prime of his life miles and miles away from home, what would preventing him from sowing his wild oats with the boss’s wife? Only one thing…His relationship with God! When push came to shove, his relationship with God was way more important to him than a few fleeting seconds of pleasure.

When temptation comes knocking at your door what will prevent you from following it? By the way, it is not a matter of “if” it comes but “when!”  What do you value more than the fulfillment of sin’s desire?  Sin will come knocking so we must be ready to give the proper response.  If you and prepare our hearts with verses like Proverbs 2:7, “…he (the Lord) is a shield to those who walk in integrity.” Or, Proverbs 10:9, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his way crooked will be found out.” 

May the Lord help us to live in His victory and in His presence today.  He is our victory over sin’s deceptive voice.