Risky

The Israelites are so close. They've spent 40 years wandering through the desert, "enjoying" one of the longest time outs in history. Joshua has taken the lead and the Israelites have declared numerous times that they will follow his direction. God tells Joshua to cross the Jordan with Israel and capture the city of Jericho. So Joshua sends two spies ahead to scout out the city. The last time spies were sent into the Promised Land the Israelites seemingly turned from faithfully trusting God to living in fear.

This story, luckily, turns out to be one of faith in action. Check out Joshua chapter 2 and familiarize yourself with the story of Rahab. Rahab reminds us that "no matter what kind of life you've lived, no matter how many wrong choices you've made, the next moment is waiting to give birth to new life." (Erwin McManus, Chasing Daylight)

Rahab illustrates for us the power of one choice. She was a resident of Jericho when the spies were sent by Joshua. All Scripture tells us about Rahab before this point is that she was a prostitute. "That was the sum total of her life... yet in one moment Rahab's life changed forever." (Chasing Daylight)

Joshua 2:11 tells us that Rahab was convinced that "the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below." Because of that conviction, Rahab agreed to help the spies and in doing so, save her life and the lives of her family members. Because of her willingness to risk her life for another, she in ended up creating a new future for herself. Sound familiar?

Jesus spoke to his disciples saying, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Matthew 6:24-25)

Rahab found more than just protection by the Israelites. She found a new family and married an Israelite named Salmon. Her great-grandchild was David, the king of Israel. Follow that lineage out and you discover that Joseph, husband of Mary, was a direct descendant of Rahab. "The prostitute Rahab, in one defining moment, through one life-altering decision, began a journey that brought her everything she had lost and more than she ever could have imagined. Like Rahab, we are always just one choice from a different life. At our worst, good is only one decision away." (Chasing Daylight)

Hoping to risk more,
Ginger