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MIDWEEK STUDY by Kim Dillhoff
And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. --Genesis 39:7
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
There are so many pulls in life to do the wrong thing. There are also pulls to do what looks to be the right things, but at the wrong times. It is easy for us to look at Joseph and read his story and say, oh yes, of course he did the right thing and on to the next story…or TV show. But, I believe, that even if this offer was not a true temptation to Joseph (and it well could have been) that it must have been tempting to do as Potipher’s wife asked anyway. I believe that if Joseph was in charge of the household he probably had a good idea that Potipher’s wife would be very angry if she did not get what she wanted. It probably would have been easier on Joseph to go along and keep his mouth shut, at least for the time being. Joseph understood that following God is not about short term benefits. He reacted in that manner. He told her what job he had been given to do and then who he was doing it for. (See Shoshana’s message “Why, Because All Things Working Together” http://www.hopeontheinside.org/SUNDAYSERVICE%20why-allthings.html) In essence, he was telling her that God was more important to him than whatever she might have to offer. This is one of the decisions we have to make about some of the things in our lives. What is important to us?
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” --Matthew 6:13
Jesus tells us that we can ask for help to not get lost in temptation. Jesus did not say that we would not be tempted, but that we could ask for help in not being led into the temptation. What a wonderful gift the Lord has given us. Not only can we ask for help to keep us from temptation that we are aware of, but we can ask God to help us to withstand and understand temptation that we cannot even see. We can ask for deliverance from the evil one---from his wicked ways. For example, I was, for a long time very concerned about my husband being overweight. Though I didn’t nag him a lot about it, I would bring it up from time to time and try to get him to exercise or I would voice my concerns about our future together if he didn’t do something about this problem. I asked God to please show me what to do. Surprisingly, God showed me that not only should I do nothing, but I should not worry about the situation at all. God has shown me, that not only would my past behavior make him turn further from exercise but it actually takes precious time away from showing him the love of Christ that God would prefer I was showing him instead of telling him where he is failing. As I began to listen and follow the Holy Spirit, I began to see a change in my husband’s eating habits which amazed me; I hadn’t even told him what to do! *smiles* As I write this, not only is he eating well, but he rides his bike on a bike trail near us for about three miles, 5-6 nights a week. This has now been going on for over a month. I am praying it will continue, but if it does, it will happen with no input from me. God can do amazing things, even amazingly, without us! The point is to do what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. Of course, it should agree with the Bible but if, God tells you to do something, well then, just do it...or sometimes harder yet, don't do it! What are you tempted by that keeps you away from the Lord? It does not have to be sin, as the world sees it. Temptation can come in the form of something good that keeps you from God. You can look really good to the world, but if God has asked you to forgive that friend who did you wrong and you have never given her another thought---that keeps you from God. If God has asked you to spend more time reading the Bible, but you just don’t make the time---that keeps you from God. If God is asking you to take better care of your health or spend more time with your kids, or less time with your kids, and you don’t comply---these keep you from God. Each individual must truly decide what it is that God is asking them to do…or not do in order to get closer to Him. No one else has the right to tell us what God has to say to us. In order to hear Him we have to be close enough to listen. I think that, in order to listen, we have to be calm. Knowing that we have a sovereign God that is in charge---that loves us and can care for us even when we don’t have all the answers---allows us to remain calm, so that we can hear. And, when we fail…our loving God will forgive us. We come and repent. We ask for forgiveness and then we just start over again. There may be some natural consequences, but we are forgiven. And, then, that is how we forgive others---because we are first forgiven. What a wonderful feeling. If you don’t know this feeling, you need to feel it! Follow the “Get God” button at the top of this page. When you take your child in your arms and say, “It’s going to be OK, sweetheart, Jesus loves you.” you are speaking the truth. Even during times that you are not quite sure it is going to be OK, deep down, you know the One who knows, and that is enough. And it is that simple for your child. It helps if you can do some reading, thinking and talking about what you really believe. The stronger your convictions the easier it is to comfort your child and yourself. You don’t have to fear for your child. Let them know they have a future of hope. You can hold them and comfort them and, even in their illness or disability, know that all is going to be well. You can be assured, and assure them that Jesus spoke the truth when He said these words of comfort,
“As the Father has loved me, So have I loved you. Abide in my love. --John 15:9
*********************************************************** A couple of notes here, if your spouse is not supportive or does not believe in prayer, God will give you the strength and blessing that you need to take care of your chronically ill child. If you are a single parent, you have a very difficult job. God will also bless you with what you need. Please write to me, if you can or find support. I pray that you will press into Jesus and let Him carry you and your child. If you need to have a personal relationship with Jesus, please follow this link http://www.hopeontheinside.org/getwithgod.html If you are not sure, I want to encourage you to find freedom, rest, salvation, wisdom and love. These things are freely given by God, if you will only freely accept Him…His Son. These are tools that I could not have lived without in raising my children. I pray that you will tap into these incredible gifts for parenting that God has to offer you. But, first you must receive. **************************************************************** If you feel overwhelmed and need some support please write to the email address below or go to the Forum on this site. If you are raising a chronically ill child, please send me an email at findingtruejoy@yahoo.com and tell me a little about yourself, including your age and the age(s) of your children, if you don’t mind, so that I can know more about you. ******************************************************************* Kim Dillhoff lives outside of Portland, OR with her (supportive) husband of 22 years and two children, still at home. Alex (16) and Katie (13).[here is the link to Katie’s poems that she wrote awhile ago and allowed Hope on the Inside to print. http://www.hopeontheinside.org/KATIESKORNER.html.] Kim, also has a son, Rob (25) who lives near her. Kim and Katie both suffer from Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Kim also suffers from Myofacial Pain Syndrome (MPS). She was diagnosed in 2000. Kim has been a Christian most of her life. But has followed Jesus’ teachings much more closely, in order to have a personal relationship since 2002. She feels blessed that God has set her in a family by blood and of Christian sisters who support her, and her family, with prayer and love.
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