“There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9)

In our text the writer of Genesis relates the story of Joseph refusing to commit adultery with his master’s wife. Potiphar’s wife had cast her eyes upon the servant Joseph and she said, “Lie with me.” Joseph refused her because Joseph knew to commit adultery was a great wickedness and a sin against God.

But she would not take no for an answer, so day by day she spake to Joseph in an effort to get him to lie with her, but he refused her over and over. But one day when she tried to get him to lie with her, she caught hold of his garment and he fled, leaving his garment in her hand, which she took and accused him falsely to her husband.  Potiphar’s wrath was kindled and he put Joseph in the king’s prison.

Joseph did what was right and yet his lot grew worse. He obeyed God and not man and his suffering grew greater. So did the three Hebrew boys when they refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image and they were cast into the fiery furnace. This also happened to Daniel when he refused to stop praying to God and was cast into the den of lions.

Child of grace, this may be your position today. You may have submitted your all in all to submit and obey the Word of God no matter the cost; and yet when you made your stand for God, then your situation grew worse as it did with Joseph, the three Hebrew boys and Daniel.

The question is, “What now?” Are you strong enough in the Word of God to do right and stand against sin and to believe that God will deliver you in your hour of trial? Will you stand still and wait on God’s Deliverance in His Power and in His appointed Time? It was a little easier for the Hebrew boys and Daniel; for the wait of deliverance was in a short period of time. But with Joseph, his deliverance came in stages. It was not immediate, but there were evidences even in the trial of his faith that God was watching over him. Genesis 39:21 says:

“But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy (extended kindness to him), and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” 

The keeper of the prison allowed Joseph to run the prison, for all the prisoners were committed for him to oversee. Verse 23 says that the keeper of the prison did that for Joseph, “because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.”

The Hebrew boys were saved from death in the fire. (Daniel 3:24-27) relates that while in the midst of the fire, there was a fourth man in the fire, walking about in the fire whose form is like unto the Son of God; “upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.”

Daniel said from the den of lions (Daniel 6:22), “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me…” (Verse 23d), “So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in God.”

The fact is, as we see by these examples of deliverance, that it may be immediate or over a period of time, but God did deliver them out of all of their troubles and He will you also.  Therefore, no matter what you find yourself enduring because of your stand for God’s Truth, be still and wait on God. He will deliver you.

Are you strong enough to stand against wickedness and sin for God’s Honor? Then if you make this stand for righteousness, are you strong enough to endure the persecution for that stand for God? You must always count the cost. But remember, God will deliver you; God will honor your stand for righteousness. God will give you tokens along of His soon coming deliverance as He did Joseph. God will show you favor in the midst of the trial. He will give you tokens that He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, that He is preserving you and shall finally deliver you.