Faith in Action

James 2:25 (NLT)
 
Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.


Reflection

We love to clean our Bible characters up and sensationalize their realities. I have memories of my church teachers using flannelgraphs where the Bible heroes and heroines had flowing hair, tight muscles, robes in vivid colors, and faces of faith. Even Jonah looked quite put together after he was vomited out of the big fish, and Mary looked ready for a photo shoot from the donkey ride through the stable delivery.

But if we peek behind the story of Rahab, we find a woman needing an out from a sordid life. We don’t have to clean up her story because God wanted her story. She was a woman of faith with a jagged journey. It began with her need to find a way to live because the Israelites were going to kill everyone in her town. She was actually motivated by a self-centered desire for safety. She was not seeking God when some men knocked on her door; she was living a life of prostitution.

BUT four things:
 

• Rahab had heard the stories.
• Rahab knew Who was empowering the Israelites.
• Of all the people in Jericho, she is the only one who latched onto the fact that the true God was behind the victories.
• God knew Rahab was scrappy and resourceful from years of rough living, and those attributes, in His mighty hands, were exactly what He needed.

Faith intersected action when Rahab acknowledged she knew the spies served “the true God in Heaven” (Joshua 2:11).  Embracing that little smidge of truth was enough. Mustard seed enough. Enough to make her the next link in the chain God was using to deliver Israel. That faith was what parlayed her from harlot to heroine.

Rahab's triumph from being used by men to being used by God was sealed in the moment when she acted on what she believed. Her life was still shadowy, but a kernel of truth was ballooning in her heart and eventually it would outgrow harlotry.

Given the chance, she stepped into the story of God and allowed Him to use her life - her whole, messy life.

Her action led to victory for Israel, safety for her family, and marriage to Salmon (one of the spies) who paid back the life he owed her with a love that was honorable and true. And together, they served the one, true God. What a happy ending, right?


Action Steps
 
While our life experiences may not involve prostitution like Rahab’s did, the truth is we’ve all experienced some sort of immorality in our hearts. This week, I was praying about some personality traits I want God's help with. I was sitting at a stoplight when I felt Him impress upon me that I needed to not “harlot” my eyes by reading things that feed my worry, or “harlot” my ears by listening to things that fuel unrest in my mind.

I want Rahab faith-with-action to stop the avenues satan uses to defeat me. Does that resonate with you? If so, take a few minutes and ask God to reveal areas of your life where you’re vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. Then, ask Him to reveal ways you can take action to protect your heart and mind.


Prayer
 
Lord, I trust You to utilize the messiest part of my life with Your transformation power. Help me relax and give myself over to be used by You. Amen.