Get a picture in your mind of someone you think is beautiful. Now think of how she has everything. Her husband loves and respects her, she has a gorgeous house with people who clean it for her. She spends her days shopping and getting whatever she wants without worry. Now imagine her attitude, what is she like? Sweet, generous, funny, gifted and everyone loved her? What kind of friend is she to you? How does she treat other people? There is a lady in Scripture who is a lot like this one we've imagined and today we are going to meet her though we don't know her name. We'll call her Potiphar's wife. Genesis 39 tells her story. Take a second to click and read. She had it all (at least according to the American dream) but even then she still hungered for more. Ecclesiastes says the more we have the more we think we need. I suppose that is why the sweet family in Tanzania Africa, part of the poorest tribe in Africa, was so willing to give me the only bananas they had. Our desire grows for what we are gazing at and Potiphar's wife was gazing at Joseph. James tells us, when desire conceives it gives birth to death. Potiphar's wife is a perfect example. Her desires grew to the point she pursued him, initiated with him and then her marriage, reputation and the blessing God had brought to her and her family was taken away. The blessing on everything they had, home and field would be no longer. To think our desires wont grow when we keep feeding them is a lie. Whatever you feed grows, whether good or bad. We are either feeding the flesh or the Spirit. We don't live in a stand still world. We are either going toward the Lord or away from Him. There is no in between. Have you ever been there? Hungering for more of something the Lord hasn't given you? (What is your Joseph?) You're not alone. Potiphar was there. But not only Potiphar's wife, me too. And every other woman on this planet. We crave. That craving was given to us by the Lord for the Lord. That craving is beautiful when were craving the right things, or the right person. Namely the Lord. He is the only One who will truly fill and satisfy us. Are you feeding the flesh or the Spirit right now in your craving? Are you setting your heart on the Lord or on some other desire? If not the Lord, He's always ready to receive you. To hear you ask Him for strength, to hear you say you want to want Him the most. He is ready to give you all the power and ability necessary if you'll just rely on Him. About LauraLaura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has five kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 12 years serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura is the Women's Development Coordinator and has discipled over 150 girls, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks to college and women's groups. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and A Devotional Journey through Judges, a devotional to accompany the free online Bible study at TheBookofJudges.com. You can find her on facebook,twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram and her author site. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
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2 Comments
1/6/2015 11:15:25 pm
This is so good, Laura! And so pertinent after Christmas, I think. It's a good post that causes us to pause and think about how we are moving either toward Christ or away from Him.
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Amber Cadenas
1/7/2015 04:24:15 am
"To think our desires wont grow when we keep feeding them is a lie" - this statement certainly causes me to stop and reflect. Thank you for sharing with us.
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