Category: {Worth}

 

Written by Melissa Longval:

In the story of Rahab, we have seen how her source of worth came not from her reputation or occupation, but from God.  Like Rahab, we can trust God to use our past for good and to bless others.

In this post, we will see how God’s redemptive love reaches through generations to bring the saving message of Jesus Christ to the world.  And He chose Rahab to be a part of His plan.

God had indeed given the City of Jericho into the hands of Joshua and the Israelites.  Orders were given, marching began, shouts and trumpet filled the air…the great walled City of Jericho fell.  

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed…Joshua 6: 20

Every living thing was destroyed.  Except…

…Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.  They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.  Joshua 6: 23

Rahab took a great chance on the God of Israel.  She left behind all that was familiar and comfortable to step out in faith…into a foreign world.  Not only were she and her family spared and allowed to live, but she lived long among the Israelites.  Not only was she living among them, but she married Salmon, an Israelite.  She not only married Salmon, but also birthed Boaz, the future husband of Ruth.  She not only birthed Boaz, but is the great…great- grandmother to Jesus Christ!

The prostitute from Jericho became the redeemed great ancestor of our Saviour…let that thought penetrate your heart.

If you are willing, God will redeem you.  And just like Rahab, you too become part of the family of God.  Your sins are forgiven and you are established in God’s Kingdom.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Hebrews 11: 31

You are so precious and valuable to Jesus.

By faith, the labels, bad choices, or even the terrible things beyond your control do not define you.  They do not determine your worth!

By faith, surrender them to God and trust Him with them…to do more than you could even think or imagine.  There is not one whose sin is too great for God to forgive.  No one is too dirty to be washed clean by the blood of Christ.  By faith…

 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.  So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1: 4-7

Out of the rubble of Jericho, Rahab and her family were saved, redeemed, and brought into the lineage of Christ.  Imagine what the Lord will do with your life when you give it to Him!

Until next time,
~Melissa

 

Written By: Melissa Longval

Rahab had determined to hide the Hebrew spies and keep her end of the bargain…this promise that would save her and her family from the coming destruction by the army of Israel.  I love that God uses the least of these to accomplish great things.  A woman…a prostitute…an adulteress.  Shocking!

But the very things that label and trap us can be used for good.  In Joshua 2, we learn that the king of Jericho had discovered that the men of Israel had come to search out the land.  He inquired of Rahab.  The two spies held their breath as she wove her tale.  The soldiers listened to her.  They believed her, and pursued the spies where Rahab had suggested.  I can only imagine why the king would know her so well.  Perhaps she was good at her job and had the king in her good graces.

Let’s be real…she knew men.  She had to.  Rahab served and catered to men.  The very label that tried to define her was turned, to be used for her good and God’s glory.  She feared the Lord God of Israel, as we discussed last time, and decided to take a risk on Him.  We call that faith.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

The very labels that threaten to strangle and pull us down can be used for noble causes.  Whether these labels are warranted or not, God is big enough to turn our ashes to beauty.  He can take something defiled and make it clean.  He brings life to what was dead.  He is God after all.  Rahab understood this and acted upon it.  Perhaps ignorance is bliss…maybe she didn’t know how much prostitutes were looked down upon.  More likely, though, she knew…we all know and carry shame from past choices.

Sweet friends, may I ask you to dig deep…to really believe that the very thing, the very label you are trying to remove or run from could be what God will use for good.  Will you take the risk and believe God can take what made you “dirty” and small and use it for good, glory, and beauty?  All the lessons learned…the empathy you feel for others in similar situations, your perspective is of great value in God’s kingdom.  There are many who need to hear your story, because maybe, they share the same label.

We are not passive in this game of life.  Like Rahab, we have a choice in the midst of our biggest battles – to melt in fear or march forward on God’s side.  We can choose to let past choices direct our future or choose to let God use our past for good.  We can choose to wear our labels and let them define us, or we can learn all we can from them and use those lessons to bless others.

“Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.”  Joshua 4: 17

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1: 4

What will you choose?

Until next time,
Melissa