There is a moment in every believer's life, a
moment where right and wrong are no longer obvious,
where sin doesn't look evil, it looks reasonable,
where the door is open, the opportunity is there,
and no one is watching. In that moment, some
run. Others stay. And that decision changes everything.
The struggle is real. Joseph ran. Samson stayed.
Joseph resisted by running away. Samson entertained.
by nurturing it. And that made all the difference.
Joseph ran from sin. He ran from a moment many
would have called an opportunity. A hidden opportunity.
A pleasurable opportunity. A tempting opportunity.
It was attractive. It was seductive. And in a
moment of false certainty, it even seemed safe.
He could have said, no one will know, I can get
away with this just this once. But Joseph saw
beyond the moment. He saw the cost, the possibility
of losing everything, the risk of being exposed,
the danger of destruction. Because let's be honest,
isn't that how most fall? They thought they were
safe until they were seen. They thought they
were in control until they controlled them. So
Joseph ran. Was it weakness? No, it was wisdom.
Because even Paul said, run from lust. Not fight
it, not entertain it, run. Because lust is not
a casual sin. It is a soul entanglement. It requires
lies. It requires intention. It requires repetition.
And eventually, it connects you to another soul
that is not aligned with God. That is why lust
is dangerous. It doesn't just touch the body.
It drains the anointing. It grieves the Holy
Spirit. And slowly, silently, you become an empty
vessel. Still speaking like you know God. Still
looking like you carry something. But inside,
the presence has lifted. Look at Samson. He didn't
fall in one day. He entertained it. He nurtured
it. He got comfortable with it. Until the day
came, the anointing left. and he didn't even
realize it. And look at David. He didn't run.
He stayed. He watched. He entertained it. And
what started as a glance became desire. Desire
became action. Action became deception. And deception
led to destruction. One moment of lust brought
pain into his house, division into his family,
and consequences that followed him for years.
Even God was displeased. This is the weight of
it. Lust doesn't just affect a moment. It creates
a ripple of pain, loss, and brokenness. But Joseph
chose differently. He ran. Not because sin wasn't
attractive, but because God was more valuable.
He understood something deeper. I can lose the
position, but I cannot lose the presence. Joseph
knew without God, he was nothing. It was God
who kept him, God who protected him, God who
preserved him. He refused to lose God's favor
for a temporary pleasure. The struggle is real
and it often starts small. A conflict in your
marriage, a misunderstanding with your partner,
a feeling of being unseen, unheard, unfulfilled.
and suddenly a door opens an environment is created
familiarity replaces honor routine kills passion
and seeds are planted through movies through
series through a culture that normalizes cheating
and glorifies lust before you know it you are
surrounded by options options that understand
you options that listen to you options that feel
easier softer available and the enemy does not
guess he studies like a boxer who fires your
weakness and keeps hitting the same spot again
and again and again until you break because the
devil is not passive God said your adversary
the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking
whom he may devour he is watching watching your
weak moments, watching your frustrations, watching
your loneliness, watching your unmet needs. He
is studying your patterns, the time you are most
vulnerable, the moment you feel unappreciated,
the season you feel disconnected. And once he
finds your opening, he doesn't move on. He camps
there, he presses there, he returns there again
and again and again. Just like that boxer, he
will keep hitting the same spot. the same desire,
the same frustration, the same unmet need, until
what was once a thought becomes a struggle, then
a habit, then a fall. And now, you stand at that
same moment, a moment of decision, a moment of
tension. A moment where everything feels justified
but everything is at risk. You can stay or you
can run. You can entertain it or you can walk
away. And here is your turning point. Father,
I pray for the one listening right now. Give
them the strength to walk away from what is trying
to destroy them. Give them the clarity to see
beyond the moment and recognize the trap of the
enemy. Strengthen their spirit where their flesh
feels weak. Restore their hunger for your presence
and renew their desire for purity. Holy Spirit,
help them in the moments of temptation. Remind
them of who they are. Remind them of what they
carry. Remind them of what is at stake. Lord,
close every door that leads to destruction and
open their eyes to every escape you have already
provided. Let them not trade their destiny for
a temporary pleasure. Let them not lose the anointing
for a moment of weakness and give them the courage
to run. in Jesus name. Amen. Because sometimes
the greatest victory in your life is the moment
you walk away.