In Kenny Rogers' greatest hit, he meets up with a gambler who gives him this advice:

You got to know when to hold ‘em
Know when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away and know when to run
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
There's time enough for countin' when the dealings done.

In this soap opera episode from the life of Joseph, which is our scripture lesson for today, Joseph knows when to run. Maybe there is a lesson from the life of Joseph for all of us who struggle with temptations in our lives.

I. TEMPTATIONS ARE REAL

They are real for all of us. In a few moments we will pray, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." Why would Jesus have taught us to pray for deliverance from temptation unless he knew we would be subjected to temptation?…