(Today's reading - Joshua 1-3; Luke 2:57-80)
Sometimes I get caught up in the idea that to please God, I must do something great. As I read through the Bible, I encounter people that do mighty things, accomplish great things and if I am not careful I can begin to think that what I do is small and meaningless. Today we read about a lady named Rahab, a prostitute or an inn keeper. (I am not fully convinced either way, but as a hotel operator, I like to think she ran an inn) Joshua sent two spies into Jericho to make preparation for an invasion. While in the city, they entered Rahab's establishment and asked her to hide them.
She complied and hide them on her roof and told the king that they had already left the city. Later, she lowered them down through a window so that they could escape. She confessed her belief in the God of Israel and asked them to spare the lives of her family. They gave her a red cord and told her to tie it in her window and that the Israelites would spare their lives. That is pretty much the entire story. We don't her about her again until Matthew 1, where she turns up in the genealogy of Jesus. I hear brakes screaching.... yep, check it out, she was the mother of Boaz and the great-grandmother of King David. (or something like that)
Then we find her in Hebrews 11. As we read chapter 11, we find those names that we are very familiar with, Noah, Abraham, Isacc, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and ... Rahab. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed
with those who were disobedient. (v 31) How does she fit in with the likes of Samson, Gideon and Samuel? I mean... she hide two guys on her roof for a night. How hard was that compared to building a boat for 100 years and riding out the storm of all storms. Or being king over all of Israel? Or leading God's people out of Egypt? Or ... you get the idea.
Sometimes, we buy into the idea that to please God we have to do something great in the eyes of mankind. Rahab's life says, "not so". She demonstrated faith in a God she did not even know and that pleased Him. And becasue of that, we find her in the listing of Jesus' family. I love her story. I am thankful for her story. I don't have to accomplish great things to find myself in God's story. I just have to trust Him. Now, He may use you to accomplish something that people will call great. If He does, praise Him! But it may be that He wants you to demonstrate faith to those around you in the little things. Actions. Language. Humility. Love. And who knows, you may end up being the grandparent of a person that leads our nation back to Him.
Our purpose in this life is found in trusting Him. If we allow Him to lead us through this life, trusting Him to do right and knowing that whatever comes our way, He will be faithful in all His promises. Take a moment and think about the things that you have done and can do that make a difference in His creation. In other people's eyes, they may be little, but in His eyes they are great! Raise a child that is faithful to Him... huge! Be an example to others of a faithful spouse... gigantic! Live a quiet life in service to your neighbor... enormous! You getting the idea? Let me state it clearly...
You don't have to live in the jungles of Africa, walk hundreds of miles to teach in a village in New Guinea or baptize thousands of people in India to please God. If you do those things, awesome! But if you "make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business
and work with your hands,
just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of
outsiders
and so that you will not be dependent on anybody", (1 Thess 4:11,12) you will have fulfilled your purpose here on planet earth. He doesn't require us to do "great" things in the eyes of humans, but He does require us to do great things in His eyes... and that my friends is something very different all together.
Love God, Love People
Dale
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