In Genesis 38, we learned that Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died (v. 12). Some time later, he saw a veiled woman he thought was a prostitute and went over to her and asked to sleep with her (38:16). This account of Judah’s seeking comfort by seeking out a prostitute is contrasted with Joseph in Potiphar’s house in the next chapter. Joseph surely needed some comfort after all he had been through. The potential comfort was seeking him out in the form of Potiphar’s wife, who was making advances toward him. But Joseph did not give into the temptation. Day after day he refused, appealing to his respect for Potiphar and more importantly his reverence for God, which eventually cost him greatly. 

Because of sin, our hearts are hard-wired toward moralism. We believe that if we do good things, if we obey God, then we will experience good things in life – He will reward us. But moralism tries to define what is good. Sure, when we obey God with the right motive – out of love – good will result. The problem is that sometimes what God calls “good” and what we call “good” are not the same. When that happens, our dictionary is the one that is off. 

• Like Joseph, we may suffer for our obedience in this life. Why is this better than prospering in sin?