Joshua 2 - Switching Sides

If you are like most people, you can remember a time or two when you have made choices that could have had devastating consequences. But for the grace of God, we might have endured tragedy.  Unless God intervened and showed us the end of our own self will we would all be bound for eternity apart from Him and under the domination of Satan. In Joshua 2, we see this story played out in the life of Rahab. 

Rahab had so many marks against her. She lived in a pagan land that was against God and His people. She was a woman; not endowed with the same rights and privileges as men. She was a prostitute used for men's pleasure and discarded when they were through. She was a very unlikely candidate to become a prophet of God, seeing the hand of God at work in the nation of Israel (perhaps she saw better than some living  in Israel). She saw that God was working ahead of His people and against the nations that stood against them. God was even working fear into the surrounding nations to weaken their resolve even before any confrontation occurred. Rahab saw she was on the wrong side of the equation and took her opportunity to switch sides and rewrite her own life's story. She negotiated with the spies to secure safety for herself and her family when Israel came against Jericho. 

We too may find ourselves going down a bad path in life. We may be on the wrong side of God's favor. Our choices may have been financial, career, wrong alliegiances or priorities, or a long standing engagement in sin that dishonors God. We have an opportunity, just as Rahab did, to rewrite our story. We can switch sides and choose new alliegiances.   Switching sides may not undo the actions of the past, but it can give you hope for a brand new future. 

It is not only for our daily life that we can redefine success, but Jesus death, burial and resurrection offers us the chance to get off Satan's team and become a member of God's family. The Holy Spirit works in our life to show us the end of our nature. We were born into the family of Adam and this inherited his nature that stands in rebellion against God. We can feel that pull in our lives to do our own thing and to pursue our own way. We are completely blind to our great need of a Savior until the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts and the Word of God shows that our sin is such a great offense to God that He can have no part with us. We are all deserving of hell. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ offers another way. Christ died so that we could switch sides and trust Him as our King. We can choose to live for eternity in Heaven or live for this life on Earth alone. Each choice has eternal consequences. 

Rahab was adopted into the nation of Israel and honored for her act of courage in saving the spies and for saving her family. The gospel is available to not just the Jews, but even to people living in he lowest stations of life. It is not too late to switch sides. Your life can begin again with a new ending. Rahab went on to be a great-grandmother to David and counted in the lineage of Jesus Christ. 

We may not have the great fame of Rahab, but our lives are forever changed when we are adopted into God's family. We are given the Holy Spirit to lead and teach us in holiness. We can have a deep down joy in knowing we have been spared and security knowing our lives are bound with Jesus for all eternity. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him.