2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezekiel 27:1-28:26 ESV, Hebrews 11:17-31 ESV, Psalm 111:1-10 ESV, Proverbs 27:15-16 ESV
Daily Verse: “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” (Hebrews 11:31 ESV)
SUNAPOLLUMI (4881): “To destroy (middle or passive voice be slain) in company with: perish with.”[1]
To destroy.
Rahab became famous because she protected the spies who came to scope out the land. She made her living by selling her body to men and protected God’s servants when they came to her door, which led her to a life that included a place in the genealogy of Jesus. Married to Salmon, she’s David’s great-great-grandmother, from prostitute to matriarch in the royal lineage of Christ; Rahab had a virtuous heart.
Jericho fell at the hands of Joshua with the Lord leading him. Rahab saved herself and her family by believing in God’s sovereignty. Following her heart meant giving her life to an unknown God, believing in His power to save her. And the Lord did, giving her a new life.
Fresh start.
Becoming a virtuous woman changed Rahab’s entire life. Choosing to trust God gave her purpose. As a Canaanite; her adoption into the Jewish culture answers how they became a part of Israel.
Trusting God gives us what Rahab found, a fresh start. We can put our old ways behind us and make different choices. Actions start in the mind. Awareness of our thoughts helps us control our responses to the world around us.
Including Jesus in our thought processes helps us make decisions through His lens. Applying the teachings we learn as we develop a relationship with Christ will change us. Putting away fleshly desires and pursuing divine ones takes intention and thought but has fantastic results.
Discover your purpose one day at a time as you filter your reactions through the lens of scripture. Before deciding, think about what Jesus would do, then do it. Like Rahab, God adopts us into the royal lineage when we place our faith in Jesus.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 240) Thomas Nelson
