A WOMAN OF FAITH

KEY VERSE:
“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.” — Hebrews 11:31

MESSAGE:
Yesterday, we learned about Rahab — a woman of Jericho whose faith defied the odds and changed the course of her life. When two spies from Israel came to survey the city before its conquest, she made a courageous decision to hide them from the king’s soldiers, risking her own life to protect theirs.

Rahab’s faith wasn’t born out of a long history of following God; rather, it came from hearing about the incredible works God had done for His people. She had heard about the mighty acts of God in drying up the Red Sea and giving His people victory over great kings. These testimonies stirred her heart to acknowledge the Lord and believe in Him as the one true God of heaven and earth. With faith, she pleaded for the safety of her family:

“Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” — Joshua 2:12-13

The spies agreed to Rahab’s request. Before leaving, they instructed her to tie a scarlet cord in her window — the very window through which she had let them down. This would mark her house as a place of safety when Israel’s army arrived to take the city. During the invasion, the cord would become the symbol of salvation for Rahab and her family.

After the spies escaped, they reported back to Joshua, declaring: “The Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us” (Joshua 2:24). Not long after, God performed the miraculous: the Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. Then came the strange and silent processions around Jericho’s walls for six days. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times. At the blast of the trumpets and the shout of the people, the ground shook, the walls cracked, and Jericho’s mighty defenses collapsed into rubble.

And yet, there stood Rahab’s house — still on the wall — untouched in the midst of destruction. By faith, she remained inside with her family, even as everything around her fell. What incredible faith she displayed! While the very foundation of the city crumbled, she stayed in place, trusting in God’s promise, her scarlet cord fluttering in the wind.

CONCLUSION:
Rahab’s story is a powerful reminder: Faith holds steady when the world shakes. When the foundations of your life are tested and the walls you’ve trusted seem to be crumbling, will you still remain anchored in God’s promises? Rahab’s faith was not passive — it was active and demonstrated by her actions. She didn’t just believe; she acted on her belief, saving her family and becoming part of God’s plan for Israel.

James commends her faith in action, saying: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:25), and the writer of Hebrews honors her by including her in the great Hall of Faith:
“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

When everything around you is shaking, can you remain in place, trusting God’s promises to keep you safe? Faith is tested in the midst of life’s shaking moments, and it is in these times that God reveals His power. The kind of faith Rahab demonstrated is the kind of faith that leads to divine destiny — a faith rooted in the proof-producing power of God. The faith that preserves is the faith that stands firm, and it is this kind of faith that accomplishes divine purpose.

PRACTICAL REFLECTION:

• When faced with difficult circumstances, do you remain rooted in God’s promises, or do you let fear shake your faith?
• How can you demonstrate your faith through action today, just as Rahab did?
• Are you willing to trust God completely, even when everything around you seems to be falling apart?

PRAYER:

1. Lord, help me to stand firm in my faith, even when the world around me is shaking.
2. Strengthen my trust in Your promises, and let my life be a living testimony of Your miraculous power.
3. May I, like Rahab, be a vessel of faith that produces proof of Your greatness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
True faith is not just believing God can — it is staying in place until you see Him do it.