Bold Faith in Action
From Rahab, How God Uses the Unlikely on YouVersion
Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families. We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.” – Joshua 2:8-14 NLT
Have you ever faced a moment when stepping out in faith felt impossible because the risks seemed too great? That is exactly where Rahab found herself, a pivotal moment where fear and faith collided. She was forced to choose between the safety of the familiar and the uncertainty of trusting in a God she had only heard about.
In Joshua 2, Rahab made a stunning declaration to the spies she had hidden: “I know that the Lord has given you this land.” Her words were not casual; they reflected a deep belief in the power and sovereignty of a God she had only heard about. Rahab’s faith wasn’t born from years of knowing or following God but from stories of His works. Her decision to hide the spies was not just an act of bravery; it was a step of faith in a God she trusted, even at great personal risk.
By hiding the spies and asking for her family’s safety, Rahab risked her life and her future. She could have been executed for treason if she had been discovered. But instead of letting fear paralyze her, Rahab chose to trust God. Her courage was not the absence of fear but the decision to trust God in the face of uncertainty.
Rahab’s story reminds us that faith is more than just believing in God. Faith is acting on God’s truth, even when the path ahead is unclear. It’s easy to say we trust God when the stakes are low, but true faith is revealed when we take action in situations where the risks are high, and the outcomes are unknown.
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 NLT
Rahab didn’t know how her story would end, but she believed in a God who could do the impossible. Her example challenges us to examine our own faith. Are we willing to trust God when the circumstances seem overwhelming? Are we willing to step out, even when we don’t have all the answers?