Defeating Potiphars Wife The Famous Sin!

ThePower
Of A
Faithful
Life
The Life Of Joseph In The Egyptian World

BY T. LETJEBA 1
The
Power
Of A
Faithful
Life
Devotional
REVIVE THE SAINTS. SAVE THE LOST
SERIES
2
 E-BOOK

THE BOOK IS DEDICATED TO ALL MANKIND

Written by Timoti Letjeba

World rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be copied or reproduced in any
form or manner whatever, except as provided by law, without the written permission of the
publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. The author assumes full
responsibility for the accuracy of all facts and quotations as cited in this book.

______________________________

Copyright 2017 by Timoti Letjeba Ministries. Dedicates to Pastor. A. Carr and L. Sumrall

Bible cited in this book are KJV, NIV, and NLT

-Book Published in the Republic Of South Africa-

ISBN: 978-1-387-02240-3

Published by

Vision Quest Group

3
 In This Book
Chuck Swindoll said it well when he said,
The world needs people who cannot
be bought; who put character above wealth;
who will make no compromise with wrong
By watching Joseph and how he conducted himself we
can clearly see that a faithful life is a prosperous life and
that you can overcome any temptation of unfaithfulness
at your work life, your school life, your marriage life,
your business dealings, and in the Lords work. And God
will bless you abundantly.

Authors Word of Gratitude

I thank the LORD for: - for giving me parents who were
courageous enough to be my parents and showed me the
straight path to God, may God keep them and bless them.
- Brother Fezile and Chris for supporting my ministry
for the Lord may God bless them abundantly!
- All the special people who are about to read this
book. May God help them to be more faithful to
Him. Amen.
4
 C O N T E N T S

Introduction: Its Time to Live a Faithful Life 6

One: Be Faithful In Spite Of Temptation 12

Two: Temptation Comes In Different Ways 17
Three: Its Time to Exhibit Your Testimony 23
Four: Learn To Say No To Temptation 28
Five: Its Time to Know the Truth about Temptation 34
Six: Be Faithful In Spite Of Trials 39
Seven: Be Faithful In Spite Of Misfortunes 44
Eight: The Power Of A Faithful Life 48

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 Introduction
Its Time for You to Live a Faithful Life
Who is a faithful, wise servant, to whom the
master can give the responsibility of managing his
household and feeding his family? Mathew 24:45

Joseph faced a fearful time of temptation. Instead of

falling, like so many do, Joseph weathered the storm of
temptation and won a great victory in his spiritual life.
He stayed clean in a situation where many others would
have fallen, he was a faithful servant!
A faithful life stands the test of time! To any person,
life is a good one when it is based upon faithfulness, you
sleep peaceably without any worries. You enjoy good
marriage, good business, good work life, good finances,
good spiritual life, and good relationships and that is
simply because our God is in control! (James 4:7). When
you live a faithful life you dont have to worry about
your joy, because it is no longer coming from your
husband, your wife, your job, your friends and even to

6
yourself! It only comes from Jesus who lives inside you,
(1 Peter 5:7).
And a life based on unfaithfulness is always a threat
because sooner or later it expires! Ive seen businesses
tumble down because of unfaithfulness, marriages
becoming toxic because of unfaithfulness, relationships
getting shattered because someone is unfaithful, its just
so miserable to live life based on unfaithfulness! Because
sooner or later it dies terribly.
Our sphere is just filled with unfaithful people, even
many churches are closed down because of
unfaithfulness, and nowadays no one cares about being
faithful despite the fact that the Bible says in Proverbs
28:20.
Honest people will lead a full, happy life. But if
you are in a hurry to get rich, you are going to be
punished.
My friend, it is better to eat vegetables with a happy
face than a delicious meal with a heart full of regrets. It
is better to remain with one companion than breaking
someone elses marriage. It is better to stay home than

7
enjoying seasonal pleasures of mischief. It is better to be
faithful to God than faithful to the devil! Proverbs 16:8.
As we pass through this life many situations will arise
that have the potential to throw us off course. The world,
the flesh and the devil will all conspire to get us to quit
on God. They will do everything in their power to cause
us to drop out or to fall far short of our potential.
We must be like Joseph because a true Christian is a
replica of Joseph in an Egyptian world,
When the sun sat each day on Josephs life, he
could rest easy, because he has been faithful.
When he was home with his father Jacob, he
had been a faithful son.
When he minded his fathers flocks, he
had been a faithful worker.
When he was sold to Potiphar, he
proved to be a faithful servant.
Because he had been faithful, the Lord blessed
everything he did. In this passage, we are allowed to see
the faithfulness of Joseph very clearly. He remains

8
faithful to His God, and to himself, in the face of some
problems that would cause many others to fail.
God wants us to be faithful. He wants us to stay the
course and run the race for His glory until He calls us
home. Joseph teaches us how to be faithful in spite of
what we may face in this life. And to stay faithful you
have to be tested! That is why there was a tree in the
middle of the Garden of Eden it was a test of faithfulness.
From The Scriptures
Now when Joseph arrived in Egypt with the Ishmaelite
traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, the King of
Egypt. Potiphar was the captain of the palace guard.
The LORD was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as
he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar
noticed this and realised that the LORD was with Joseph,
giving Him success in everything he did. So Joseph
naturally became quite a favourite with him. Potiphar
soon put Joseph in charge of his entire household and
entrusted him with all his business dealings.
From the day Joseph was put in charge, the LORD began
to bless Potiphar for Josephs sake. All his household
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affairs began to run smoothly, and his crops and livestock
flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete
administrative responsibility over everything he owned.
With Joseph there, he didnt have a worry in the world,
except to decide what he wanted to eat!
Now Joseph was very handsome and well-built young
man. And about this time, Potiphars wife began to
desire him and invited him to sleep with her. But Joseph
refused. Look, he told her, my master trusts me with
everything in his entire household. No one here has
more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from
me except you, because you are his wife. How could I
ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin
against God.
She kept putting pressure on him day after day, but he
refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as
much as possible. One day, however, no one else was
around when he was doing his work inside the house.
She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding,
sleep with me! Joseph tore himself away, but as he did,
his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from
the house.
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When she saw that she had his shirt and that he had fled,
she began screaming. Soon all the men around the place
came running. My husband has brought this Hebrew
slave here to insult us! she sobbed. He tried to rape me,
but I screamed. When he heard my loud cries, he ran and
left his shirt behind with me.
She kept the shirt with her, and when her husband came
home that night, she told him her story. That Hebrew
slave youve had around here tried to make a fool of me,
she said. I was saved only by my screams. He ran out,
leaving his shirt behind!
After hearing his wifes story, Potiphar was furious! He
took Joseph and threw him into the prison of where the
kings prisoners were held. But the LORD was with
Joseph there, too, and He granted Joseph favour with the
chief jailer. Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge
of all the other prisoners and over everything that
happened over prison. The chief jailer had no more
worries after that, because Joseph took care of
everything, The LORD was with him, making
everything to run smoothly and successfully. Genesis
39:1-23.NLT
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 Be Faithful In Spite Of
Temptation
Weapon
Dont participate in wild parties and
getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral
living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the
LORD Jesus Christ take control of you, and
dont think of ways to indulge your evil
desires. Romans 13:13-14

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 One
Be Faithful In Spite Of Temptation
Now Joseph was very handsome and well-built
young man. Genesis 39:6

Joseph was a good looking young man. Not that I would

know, but beauty must bring with it its own set of
problems.
As Joseph ministered in Potiphars house, he caught
the eye of Potiphars wife. She began to flirt with him,
after a short time, she became downright brazen in her
approach, asking Joseph to lie with her. He refused her
advances, but she persisted. Then, on a certain day, she
was in the house alone and when Joseph came in she
grabbed him by his outer garments and said Lie with
me. Joseph left his garment in her hand and ran away.
In this trial by fire Joseph remained absolutely faithful
to the Lord.
There are several features of this temptation that would
have made it very attractive to any young man.
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It Was A Temptation To Fulfil A Natural And
Legitimate Need
The offer from Potiphars wife was for sex, pure and
simple. God made us sexual creatures and many people
believe they have the right to satisfy their sexual desires
in any fashion they choose.
God has a different opinion. Any sexual expression that
takes place outside the boundaries of the marriage
relationship is either fornication or adultery. Either one
is a sin against God, your spouse, your future spouse, or
yourself, (1 Cor. 6:18-20). Josephs response to Potiphars
wife was a response we should all adopt when it comes
to dealing with sexual sin (2 Tim. 2:22).
Joseph Was Far Away From Home In A
Strange Land
Some people might have adopted the motto: When in
Rome, do as the Romans. A lot of people live like that.
A salesman will do things on the road that he will not do
at home. A young person will do things at a party they
will not do at home. Joseph did not care where he was,
he was determined to do the right thing.

14
He refused to violate the trust of his master, and of his
God. His family would have never known. Potiphar
might have never known. But, Joseph knew that God in
Heaven would know. And, that knowledge was enough
to keep him pure. (Pro. 15:3; Heb. 4:13).
Mrs. Potiphar Was Surely A Beautiful Woman
Egyptian women were renowned in that day for their
physical beauty. Surely she would have appealed to the
male in Joseph. Nowhere in this text does it say that he
was repulsed by her appearance. Nowhere does it suggest
that she was an unattractive woman. Had he given into
her advances, there can be little doubt that it would have
been an enjoyable experience.
However, Joseph was interested in more than simply
gratifying his flesh. He was determined to be faithful to
God regardless of the personal cost. It was a decision he
made long before he arrived in Egypt, and it was a
decision he was determined to stand by.
Joseph had some conviction and he had drawn himself
some boundaries. We need to do the same thing. Then,
when times of temptation come our way, there is no

15
choice in the matter; we have already decided what we
will do!
It Came On The Heels Of A Big Promotion
A lot of people would assume that they had arrived.
After all, Joseph had the Midas touch. He had the favour
of Potiphar. He was the king of the roost at the big house.
He did as he pleased. Some people might have
concluded, I can do no wrong. I might as well enjoy the
fruits of my labours. But, not Joseph! It would do us well
to remember that we are never more vulnerable to
temptation than when we have just enjoyed a great
victory. When we have been part of a great victory, we
seem to feel like we can do anything. In those moments,
temptation and failure are more real than ever, (1 Cor.
10:12).
It Came At The Perfect Time And Opportunity
Potiphars wife caught Joseph when there was no
physical reason why they should not and could not
commit adultery. The only thing that stopped them was
Josephs integrity. He stood his ground, determined to do
what was right regardless of the cost.

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Temptation Comes in Different
Ways
Weapon
Put on all of Gods armor so that you will be
able to stand firm against all strategies and
tricks of the Devil. Ephesians 6:11

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 Two
Temptation Comes In Different Ways
..Joseph was handsome and good looking. And
after a time his masters wife cast her eyes upon
JosephGenesis 39:6-7

Now, the fact is, every person faces temptation in one

form or another. And, the fact is, most of us want to live
clean lives. We want to please the Lord. We want to win
over sin! To do this, we need to know how to win the
war over temptation and we can only do that by learning
from the practical experience of the faithful young man
named Joseph.
It Was Subtle
Potiphars wife began her temptation of Joseph by first
casting her eyes upon him. He was a handsome young
man.
When temptation comes into your life or mine, it will
seldom appear as a full blown invitation to sin. Most of

18
us would quickly see through that and would avoid it
altogether. The Tempter is far more subtle than that! He
will attack us is small ways that, on the surface, might
not appear evil. I mean a most young man might have
been flattered to know that he had caught the eye of a
sophisticated, beautiful Egyptian woman. Temptation is
almost always subtle in the beginning, but if it is not
stopped at that point, it will quickly escalate into
outright sin! For instance, the temptation of Jesus, in
(Matthew. 4:4-11) at first, Satan tempted Jesus to do
things that, on the surface, didnt appear to be evil.
Beware of the subtlety of temptation and sin. If evil is
tolerated, to any degree, it wont be long before you are
in over your head!
It Was Shocking
Potiphars wife came right out and propositioned
Joseph! This was a blatant offer of sexual sin! Joseph
wasnt the only one being tempted, but he was the only
one fighting temptation. It is interesting to see how
temptation worked in the heart of this woman. First, she
looked at Joseph in a way that was inappropriate for a

19
married woman, then she fed the fantasies in her mind
until they became realities! That is why sin must not be
tolerated, even within the thoughts of the mind! They
may begin there, but they will grow until they become
reality! The very thoughts of the mind must be brought
under the control of the Lord. Satan knows that outward
sin begins within mans heart, as we read in (Matthew
15:19, and James 1:14-15). He knows that if he can get
our minds to dwell on evil, it is but a short step to get us
to live out that evil! The whole point here is that if the
devil can get our minds to accept the subtle temptation,
we will cave in when he comes against us with the full
frontal assault!
It Was Sustained
She offered herself to Joseph every single day! She is a
woman completely consumed by her lust for this young
man. His refusals did nothing more than make him more
desirable to her. Joseph was a typical young person. He
had the same desires that inhabit all young people. It
must have been a difficult time in his life as this
beautiful, older woman repeatedly offered herself to

20
him! Yet, he remained firm in his resolve to be faithful
to his Lord.
What we need to learn here is that temptation is not
going to go away! Neither age nor time will make
temptations vanish. As long as we are in these bodies, we
are going to be tempted to sin against our Lord. Satan
knows our weaknesses and he exploits them. He will
repeatedly attack us in an area time after time. We can
resist, yet he still attacks us.
When the temptation subsides, we tend to let our guard
down, and here it will come again! Temptation is a
relentless force that we will battle for the duration of our
lives! That is why we must never let our guard down and
we can never think we have our sins conquered! Sin and
temptation are always waiting to attack us and to
overcome us, as God told Cain in (Gen. 4:7).
It Was Strategic
Whether this woman set this up or not we do not
know, but there came a day when no one was in the
house but Joseph and Potiphars wife. She saw the

21
opportunity to fulfil the fantasy in her mind and she
made her move.
This is how temptation works! It will entrench itself
within our minds so deeply that it becomes the centre of
our thoughts. It relentlessly pressures the mind to act on
the desire. Then, when it sees an opportunity, it pushes
us to bring our thoughts to life! You can see this
progression in the temptation and fall of King David in
(2 Sam. 11:1-4).
He saw her,
She filled his thoughts,
He took her into his heart and then into
his arms!
The pages of the Bible are filled with many examples of
temptation: Eve, Adam, Cain, Abraham, Lot, Esau, Israel,
Peter, etc. we should never think that we are going to be
immune to it! Temptation hounds us all and it will
master you if it isnt handled properly. In this area,
Joseph sets a great example!

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 Its Time to Exhibit Your
Testimony
Weapon
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is
genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that
Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have
failed the test. 2 Corinthians.13:5

23
 Three
Its Time to Exhibit Your Testimony
.Potiphar noticed this and realised that the
LORD was with JosephGenesis 39:3

If you want to be faithful and prosper do not be ashamed

about your God. Let people see God through you!
His Testimony Was Personal
The Bible is very clear that Joseph had a personal
relationship with God. He knew the Lord and was
walking with God by faith. This is the starting point for
true spirituality and personal holiness. When you have a
personal, faith relationship with God, you have the
potential to live for Him and to live like Him.
That is why it is so important for each of us to search our
hearts to be sure we are in a personal, faith relationship
with God, through Jesus Christ, the Bible says, Work
hard to prove that you really are among those God has

24
called and chosen. Doing this you, you will never
stumble or fall away. 2 Peter 1:10
His Testimony Was Powerful
Josephs faith was not just lived out in his heart, but it
was lived out before everyone around him. Everyone
could see that something was different about the life of
Joseph.
Men Saw God In His Walk
The way Joseph lived among the Egyptians marked him
as different. Those around him saw the difference. Can
men see the difference in us? They should be able to, as
the Bibles says in Matthew. 5:13-16 In the same way,
let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that
everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Men Saw God In His Work
The Lord blessed Joseph and all he did. When our walk
with the Lord is as it should be, men will see the hand of
the Lord and His activity on our lives, as the Bibles says
in Proverbs. 16:7 When the ways of the people please
the Lord, he makes even their enemies live at peace with
them
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 His Testimony Was Prosperous.
As Joseph walked with his Lord and worked for
Potiphar, the Lord continued to bless him and use him
for His glory. The Lord made it clear to all who were
looking that He was blessing and using Joseph in a great
way.
Here was a young man who had his priorities in the right
order. He loved his God and he walked with Him
faithfully. While this is the right way for everyone to
live, we also need to understand that this makes you a
prime target for attack.
The devil likes nothing better than to defeat, destroy and
devastate real men and women of God, as the Bible says
in 1 Peter. 5:8 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from
the Devil, your great enemy. He isnt too concerned
about those who are merely nominal Christians, and
who dont live the life. He isnt concerned about those
who talk about Jesus but who dont live like Him! He is
after those who run hard after God. He wants those who
want to live holy lives. He wants those who are in the

26
fight! He wants you! A life lived for Jesus is a life that
will be attacked!

27
Learn To say NO To Temptation

Weapon
Resist the Devil, and he will
flee from you. James 4:7

28
 Four
Learn to Say NO to Temptation
..But Joseph refused. Genesis 39:8

By watching Joseph and how he conducted himself

during this attack, we can learn how we too can stand
when temptation stalks us. There are people who just
cant say NO to temptation such as the famous Oscar
Wilde, He said I can resist anything except temptation.
What a shameful way to live life! Fortunately we have
people like Joseph who know very well how to use the
word NO properly.
He Met It With A Firm Refusal
When the temptation came to him, Joseph was ready
with a firm, No!. The Bible doesnt say, but I am almost
sure that Joseph had already settled this matter within
his heart. Joseph had already made the decision of what
to do when temptation came. He had already decided
that he would go with God and stay away from sin!
When we allow our minds to be unprincipled and
29
uncontrolled, we run the risk of being unprepared for
the attacks of sin and Satan.
When temptation comes after you, it is hard to say No!,
and mean it in the heat of the moment. But, if the
decision has already been made, it is far easier to stand!
That is why you have got to guard the mind and protect
it from all the things that would enter it, pollute it and
weaken your ability to mount a strong defence!
I want to teach you one word that will help you in
this matter of temptation. It is the word No! Learn it
and use it! It will help you! This was the strategy Daniel
and the three young Hebrews adopted in Babylon and it
worked like a charm. It still will!
He Met It With A Faith-based Refusal
First, Joseph refused on the grounds that Potiphar had
placed Joseph in a position of power because he trusted
him. He refused to violate that trust. However, at the
very foundation of Josephs refusal was his walk with His
God. He knew that committing adultery with this
woman might bring pleasure in the short term, but in
the long term, it would mean violating the trust Potiphar

30
had placed in him and it would cause a breach in his
relationship with his God. And, even if Potiphar never
found out, Joseph knew that God would know and he
knew that Joseph would know.
For Joseph, that was a price far too high to pay! His
integrity before men, his walk with God and his ability
to look into the mirror without guilt were worth more
to Joseph than a few moments of physical pleasure!
Before you give in to that temptation and do that thing
that looks so enticing, take a moment to think about the
consequences. What will happen to your testimony in
the eyes of others when they find out? What will happen
to your walk with the Lord? Will you be able to live with
yourself?
For Joseph, the fear of the Lord was a powerful
motivator! I realize that few people walk with that in
their minds in our day. However, fearing God will keep
you out of a lot of trouble! When you know that you will
pay the price of chastisement, of being shelved and of a
loss of fellowship with Him, it is worth saying no to a
few temptations along lifes way!

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 He Met It With A Faithful Refusal
Every day this woman tempted Joseph and every day he
steadfastly refused her advances. He didnt resort to
mind games like, Well, if the Lord didnt want me to do
this, He would just take it away from me. He just
faithfully stood for the Lord and against the evil!
We need to get this truth: Temptation is going to
come and God is not likely to take it away! He will
strengthen us and enable us to stand against it, but we
are going to have to fight it and learn to take a stand! Not
everything that you are offered in life is good for you.
You need the wisdom of God to be able to choose that
which is pleasing to him and to refrain from that which
is not!
There is something very important to notice
in verse 10. Joseph refused to listen to her words and he
even refused to be with her. He came to the place where
he physically avoided her! This is a great step in avoiding
sinning through temptation.
Dont flirt with it!

32
 Dont try to prove you can handle it!
Never come to the place where you think you have it
whipped! If something is a temptation to you, then avoid
it like the plague! Dont be foolish enough to think that
you can handle temptation and sin. They will show you
short order that they can handle you, as the Bibles says
in 1 Corinthians. 10:12 if you think you are standing
strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same
sin.
He Met It With A Final Refusal
When the big day came and this woman allowed her
thoughts to find physical expression, she grabbed Joseph
and said Lie with me! It was time to make a decision
and he did! He spun out of that robe and ran out of the
house, leaving her holding the garment! Joseph literally
ran away from Potiphars wife to preserve his character.
You cannot have it both ways! You can either give into
sin and pay the price for your pleasure, as (Proverbs.
5:11-14). Or, you can run from temptation and protect
your testimony!

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Its Time to Know the Truth
about Temptation
Weapon
Keep alert and pray. Otherwise
temptation will overpower you.
Matthew 26:41

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 Five
Its Time to Know the Truth about
Temptation
My husband has brought this HebrewThat
Hebrew slave youve had around here..Genesis
39:14 and 17

Before we leave this thought, I want to point out a few

facts about temptation:
Temptation Is Never From God - James 1:13
Potiphars wife tried to blame Joseph and Potiphar for
her lust. Some people even try to blame God for their
sins, but God is not responsible for the things that tempt
you! God tests His children, but He always sets the test
up so that we can pass. Satan tempts us, but always to
make us fail! Temptation is never from God!

35
 Temptation Is Always From Within - James
1:14-15
Temptation always comes to us based on the things we
already want. Just like a fisherman baits his hook with
the proper bait to attract to the kind of fish he wishes to
catch, Satan baits the hook of temptation with the very
worm he knows we will like!
Temptation Must Be Handled Properly - 1
Cor. 10:13
God will make a way out of temptation, but we must be
active in finding the door out! Here are a few suggestions
for dealing with temptation:
Deal with it Immediately
Dont allow it to linger in your life and grow out of
control. As Barney Fife would have said it, Nip it in the
bud! Get before God and ask for His help!
Deal with it Realistically
Understand that sin is more powerful than you are. It
will destroy you if it has an opportunity. Do not give it
that chance! Jesus said this to His disciples, Watch and

36
pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed
is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matt. 26:41)
Deal with it Ruthlessly
Whatever you have to do to avoid the temptation is in
order! Remember what Jesus said about this matter
(Mark 9:43-48). Regardless of what you have to do, get
away from it!
Deal with it Consistently
Learn to be consistent in your resistance. If you arent,
you will be caught off guard and be defeated! The same
wind can send one ship east and another west. Which
way the ship goes is determined by the set of the sails!
Deal with it Confidently
We have the Lords great promise in (1 Cor. 10:13). God
will make a way of escape, just be sure you look for it!
Most of us give into temptation, not because we cant get
out of it, but because we dont want out of it!
Satan wants to trap you and he wants to destroy your
life! Dont let that happen! If you are save today and you
battle with temptation, know that there is help for you
in the Lord. Get to Him and get away from the evil!
37
If you are lost, dont let Satan destroy your life! He will
tell you that you dont need Jesus or the church to make
it to Heaven. Dont listen to Him! If you need the Lord
today, whether it be for salvation, forgiveness, help to
fight temptation or to thank Him for a victory over sin
in your life, get to God right now. Let go of the sin and
the thought of the thrills temptation is promising you
and get to God today, while there is time!

38
Be Faithful In Spite Of Trials

Weapon
..Keep on doing what is right, and trust
yourself to the God who made you, for He
will never fail you.1 Peter 4:19

39
 Six
Be Faithful In Spite Of Trials
..He tried to rape me, but I screamed. When he
heard my loud cries, he ran and left his shirt
behind with me. Genesis 39:13

First of all, rape is a serious crime to commit even though

Joseph did not rape Potiphars wife but the allegations
were serious and someone once said that Hell hath no
fury like a woman rejected. Mrs. Potiphar has been
rejected and she sets her trap. When Joseph runs out, I
can see her as she rumples her hair, smudges her makeup
and tears her cloths. She starts to scream and cry. The
other servants come running to see what is going on. She
tells them that Joseph tried to rape her. I can also
imagine them saying, Yeah, right! She holds on to the
garment and when her husband arrives home, she
springs the trap. In essence, she blames Potiphar for the
problem, v. 17. She says, If you hadnt brought this slave

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home, none of this would have happened. Look what
you have allowed to happen in our home.
Potiphar hears the accusations against Joseph and he
becomes angry. I have always wondered who he was
really mad at. Was he mad at Joseph because he believed
her story? Was he mad at her because he knew the lust
that was in her heart? Was he mad at himself because he
didnt have the courage to stand up against a
domineering wife? Or, was he mad because he was
thinking of all the money he was going to lose?
Surely, Potiphar could see the inconsistencies in her
story. For instance, why would Joseph have left the
incriminating garment when he fled? Hadnt Joseph
proven himself to be a faithful servant who was above
reproach year after year? If Potiphar believed his wife,
he allowed his anger to get in the way of his making a
clear decision.
At any rate, the story ends the same. Joseph winds up in
prison. Psalm 105:17-19 tell us something about the pain
Joseph endured when he was first thrown into that
prison.

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Put yourself in Josephs shoes for a moment. You have
been a faithful servant to your master. You have
successfully avoided committing adultery with his wife
even though she has practically thrown herself at you
every day. You have been falsely accused. What do you
do?
Most of us would have launched a loud and long defence.
We would have declared our innocence and we would
have vowed to take our revenge when the opportunity
presented itself.
Not Joseph! In fact, there is no record of him even
opening his mouth. In this respect, Joseph is once again
just like Jesus, (Isa. 53:7). He took the trial that came his
way and he endured it with grace and faithfulness.
I am not saying that we should never defend our name
and reputation when it is slandered. What I am talking
about is the fact that trials are going to come along in this
life. There will be times when you will be attacked,
misunderstood and misrepresented. When those times
come, remember that God knows the truth, and,
eventually, that truth will come out!

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What I am saying is that you and I must learn to be
faithful even during the trials of life. When everything
goes against us and the full weight of life comes crashing
down on top of us, we must ever remain faithful to the
Lord Who loved us, bought us and saved us.
In other words, dont get mad at someone and try to quit.
Dont let the hardships and valleys of life throw you off
course. Dont get upset when things do not go your way
all the time. When people lie about you and talk about
you, do not proven them right. Prove them wrong by
remaining faithful to the Lord! Nothing silences the
tongue of a critic any quicker than a faithful life. Just live
so well that no will believe what the lying liars say about
you anyway!
Trust God and stay the course, He is looking for faithful
servants, (1 Cor. 2:4). He is looking for people who will
be the same regardless of which way the wind is
blowing. I dont know about you, but I want to be found
faithful! Hes been faithful to me and I want to be faithful
to Him!

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 Be Faithful In Spite Of
Misfortunes
Weapon
..But the LORD is faithful; He will make
you strong and guard you from the evil
one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

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 Seven
Be Faithful In Spite Of Misfortunes
He took Joseph and threw him into the prison
where the kings prisoners were held. Genesis 39:
20

There Joseph is back in the pit once again. This time he

is not in a pit of earth, he is in a prison. Surely he felt like
his star was on the rise, now, it looks like those dreams
will never be fulfilled. Many people would have given
up and quit had they found themselves in the same
situation. Not Joseph! He just did in the prison what he
had done at Potiphars house and what he had done at
Jacobs house. He remained faithful in spite of
everything life threw at him.
He did his job there in that prison and he did it so well
that soon he was running the place. The jailer trusted
Joseph to do the right thing and he turned the day to day
operation of the place over to him.
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How was this possible? Verse 21 says, The Lord was
with Joseph. That verse also says that God shewed him
mercy. Verse 23 tells us again that the Lord was with
him. It also says, And that which he did, the Lord made
it to prosper.
You see, Joseph was faithful to the Lord regardless
of where he was; and the Lord was faithful to Joseph.
There are going to be times when the bottom will fall
out of your life. That is the clear teaching of the Word of
God, Job 14:1; 5:7; John 16:33. When that happens there
will be the temptation to give up and quit on God. The
flesh will say, Whats the use? Ive been faithful still
trouble came. I might as well give up. Satan will tell you
that you should just quit on God. Even some of the
people around you will tell you that serving the Lord has
gotten you nowhere, but into trouble.
I want to tell that the world around you, your own
flesh and the devil are all liars! They will do their best to
get you to drop out of this thing. God wants us to remain
faithful in spite of whatever we may face in this life. God
knows what He is doing and He is working out a perfect,

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eternal plan, (Rom. 8:28; Psa. 37:23). You can trust Him
to do right by you, (2 Cor. 4:17). (Rom. 8:18; Jer. 29:11).
God blessed Joseph and he used him in his prison
because Joseph remained faithful. If you and I will stand
by the Lord and be the people he saved us to be, we can
count on Him using us as well. I have seen people in the
valley us depression be used of the Lord. I have seen
people held in the grip of terminal illness be used of the
Lord. I have seen people who didnt have a dime to their
name and still God used them. If you will be faithful
where He puts you, He will use you there for His glory!
The greatest thing that can ever be said about you
and me, as far as our walk with the Lord is concerned, is
that we were faithful. I want to be found faithful. How
about you? I want to be faithful to my family. I want to
be faithful to my call. I want to be faithful to my Lord. I
want to be faithful to the church. I want to be faithful to
the pulpit. I want to be faithful to the One Who has
never been unfaithful to me!

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The Power Of A Faithful Life

Weapon
..A faithful man shall abound with
blessings: but he that maketh haste to
be rich shall not be innocent. Proverbs
28:20

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 Eight
The Power Of A Faithful Life
Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a
man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.
Genesis 41:38

Joseph was a Winner not a failure! I want you to know

that Joseph benefitted from his stand against temptation
and sin. Let me point out three ways in which this is true.
He Won In His Relationship With The
Saviour
Notice how the Bible says that the Lord continues to be
with Joseph and to bless his life. Those who stay true to
the Lord can be assured of His smile upon them and upon
all they do. Those who stray from the path of
righteousness will find themselves alienated from God
and from His blessings in their lives. This is worth far
more than any pleasure sin might offer! This was Pauls
fear in (1 Cor. 9:27)

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He Won In His Relationship With His Own
Self
Josephs integrity was intact. His reputation in Potiphars
house had been undermined, but his character remained
intact! He had successfully weathered the storm of
temptation and he had retained the ability to look into
the mirror without guilt! Friends that is worth more
than anything sin can offer you!
He Won In His Relationship With
Sovereignty
It may look like all Joseph got for his refusal of this
woman was trouble. After all, he was thrown into
prison. However, because he stayed true to the Lord, he
was still in the centre of Gods will for his life, even
though it may not have appeared so on the surface.
Before many years could pass, Joseph would be raised up
by the power of God and would sit as second in
command to Pharaoh. The best you can do is stay close
to God, live holy and trust Him to being His best into
your life in His time. Getting Gods best is always worth
more than what sin can give!

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Dear friends, just keep living for Jesus, even when it
doesnt seem to be paying off. Just keep praying when
the answers arent coming. Keep going to church when
it seems as dry as dust. Keep praising Him even if you
have to do it through your tears. If you will stay faithful
in the prisons of life, God will get glory from your life
and He will bless you in ways you could never have
imagined.

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 Here is how Chuck Swindoll said it:
THE WORLD NEEDS PEOPLE...
Who cannot be bought;
Whose word is their bond;
Who put character above wealth;
Who possess opinions and a will;
Who are larger than their vocations;
Who do not hesitate to take chances;
Who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
Who will be as honest in small things as in great
things;
Who will make no compromise with wrong;
Whose ambitions are not confined to their own
selfish desires;
Who will not say they do it because everybody
else does it;
Who are true to their friends through good report
and evil report, in adversity as well as in
prosperity;
Who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and
hard-headedness are the best qualities
for winning success;
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 Who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the
truth when it is unpopular;
Who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the
rest of the world says yes.

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