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“Belonging to God”

Thoughts for Today:

In Genesis 39:7-12, Potiphar's wife grabbed Joseph by the coat and demanded, "Come to bed with me." If one of us were Joseph, we might have thought, "My family has forgotten and abandoned me. Why not take everything I can get my hands on, including my master's wife?" Think about it. He had been horribly mistreated by his family and was far from his home country. If anyone had a reason to be a little selfish, it was Joseph.

Regardless of the temptation and threats made by Potiphar's wife, Joseph refused. Why? We find his reason in verse 9b, as he rhetorically asks: "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" The wickedness was adultery with another man's wife, but the sin was actually against God. Joseph's response was an illustration of the concept Paul presents in our passage: We are not our own. We do not belong to ourselves. We belong to God.

This perspective helps with a whole host of issues we face on a daily basis, including political events, intra-family conflicts, church governance, and even the way we conduct ourselves at work. It begs us to look at all of the countless, sometimes confusing, and over-complicated choices we need to make, through a simple question: Will this act or action be pleasing to God? It makes most of my decisions rather easy. What about yours?

Questions to Ponder:

Have you been confused about a decision recently? What would be most pleasing to God? Will you submit to His will? Which alternative do you think will ultimately turn out to be best?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.