I just re-read the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife -- and I again was caught up by Joseph's statement: How then can I do this wicked thing, and I sin against my God? (Genesis 39:9)
It was because of God’s grace and His direct intervention that Joseph prospered above all other slaves in Potiphar’s house. Nothing was kept from him – the finest food, clothing, comfort . . . . Potipher refused him nothing.
Except, of course, his wife.
But Mrs. Potiphar had other ideas. She wanted Joseph. For days, perhaps months, Joseph resisted her increasingly bold invitations to her bedroom until, one day when she cornered him, Joseph literally fled from the house.
“How can I do this wicked thing and sin against my God?”
Joseph recognized what I (Lord, help me) must never forget. When I sin, I do not sin only against others, but also against God. As King David acknowledged after his sin with Bathsheba centuries later, “Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned and done what is evil in Thy sight” (Psalm 51).
Oh, Holy Spirit, open my spiritual eyes that I might see Christ recoil from the whip that slices into His back with my every transgression. Lord, I do not want to drive another nail, or draw another drop of His sacred blood.
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Rich,
God doesn't say "No." He says, through His Son, Jesus Christ, "Follow me, for I am the light, the truth, and the way." We, of course, say "No," to Him, when we demand what we want, rather than submitting to His will for us. His disciples were all called to put their own human, worldly aspirations aside and follow Him. After all, what prayer do we most want for ourselves, other than to live with Him eternally? For, if that is not what we really want, I can assure you, "No" is not only a minor point, it becomes insignificant! I once rejected Him completely, and whenever I return from sin, I realize my rejection, yet again, of His promise for me. "Come, follow me. For I am the light, the truth, and the way. No one comes to the Father, except through me." So, I think, we must realize that the only important prayer is to surrender to His will, completely, whole heartedly, so we can enjoy His Grace for eternity. It is so easy to receive, if we would only say, "Yes."
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