Have you ever felt surrounded by pressures from every direction? Like waves crashing against a rock, each day brings new challenges that test your faith and character. Perhaps you’re facing mounting pressures at work, or struggling with temptations that seem to grow stronger by the day.

Maybe you’re in a season where doing the right thing feels particularly difficult. The easy path – the comfortable choice – beckons daily while standing firm in your faith feels like swimming against a powerful current. If any of this resonates with you, today’s devotional is for you.

And today, we are going to be learning from the life of Joseph, a man who stood firm in righteousness, even when the fire of temptation and adversity raged around him.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭1‬-‭4‬
New King James Version
1 “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.

4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”

Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph was in a foreign land where he was forced to work as a servant in a stranger’s household.

Now, God favoured Joseph in the household of Potiphar, a high-ranking official in Pharaoh’s government. He rose through the ranks to become the trusted overseer of the estate, overseeing all things in Pharoah’s house.

One thing to note throughout Joseph’s journey and travails is his commitment. Despite all the challenges life brought his way, Joseph remained firm in his commitment to God.

In the verses following this, Joseph wasn’t only ostracized from his family but also faced sexual temptation, just like is rampant in modern-day society. Potiphar’s wife tried every possible way to seduce him, but he remained firm in his resolve.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭9‬ ‭
New King James Version
9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

‭‭Joseph chose to honour God in the face of intense temptation, even when it meant resisting the constant advances of his master’s wife.

He wasn’t only thinking about wronging his master, Potiphar but more importantly, he was concerned about wronging God, doing wrong by God.

Although he was a young man in a foreign land where no one knew of him, the family he came from or the God he served, Joseph constantly acted with integrity, strong willpower and trust in God.

This story reminds us of the importance of perseverance and self-control in our own lives.

Proverbs 25:28
New King James Version
28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.

Joseph’s self-control, honour, and reverence for God were his shield, protecting him from the temptations that surrounded him. The Bible says in the latter verses of Genesis 39 that even when he was thrown into Prison, he found favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Genesis 41: 37-41
New King James Version
37 So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

Through it all, his character remained uncompromised, his faith unwavering, and his integrity intact.

Think about your own life. Maybe you’re facing workplace temptations – the pressure to cut corners, to compromise your values, or to join in unethical practices. Perhaps you’re dealing with personal temptations that seem to attack you from every side, just like those waves crashing on a rock.

Remember, just as Joseph didn’t compromise even when no one was watching, God is calling you to stand firm in your integrity.

Psalm 27:14 says,
New King James Version
14 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!

Are you standing firm in righteousness, even when the fire of temptation and adversity rages around you?

Are you persevering in the face of challenges, trusting in God’s sovereignty and goodness?

Are you exercising self-control, resisting the temptations of the enemy and choosing to honour God in all you do?

These narratives from the scriptures show us that throughout centuries, trials, tribulations and temptations occur in all phases of life, and so you are not the first to be in that tough situation you are currently battling. But, what differentiates you from the rest of the world is the backing you have in God.

Just as Joseph’s season of testing prepared him for his season of triumph, your current trials are not meant to break you – but to strengthen you.

Your workplace isn’t just a source of income; it’s your mission field where God wants to showcase His glory through your integrity.

Your struggles aren’t just challenges; they’re opportunities to demonstrate the power of God’s grace in your life.

So, what is your decision going to be today and for the rest of this year?

Would you choose to stand committed, trusting with unwavering faith in God?

Intentionally remind yourself daily to trust that you serve a God who knows the end from the beginning and remain steadfast in Him even in the face of adversity.

Prayer Point:

Dear Heavenly Father, as I pray help me to trust you even in the face of the adversary. Help me to stand firm in righteousness, never wavering.