| Week 23 |
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We Can Be Sure Joshua 2:1-14 I know… What did Rahab say to the two spies in verse 8? What were those two words she used? She said, “I know.” Now, why is it that a pagan prostitute living in Canaan can state with confidence that she knows that the Israelites will win, but the Chosen People of God can’t? She said, “I know.” She didn’t say, “I think God’s going to give you the land. If you’re lucky and our soldiers have a bad day.” She didn’t say, “If you employ the right strategy, I guess you can win.” She didn’t say, “If you get the right financial backing, I suppose you’ll take this land.” She said, “I know.” That’s what I call faith. Faith is knowing something even though you can’t see or touch it. It’s being able to say, “Since God said it, that settles it.” Faith is not built upon ignorance. Faith is not built upon pretending something is true when you know it isn’t. Faith is knowing something is real without doubting it. Faith is confidently stepping out and acting upon what you know to be true. In James 1 it says that we can know, no matter what may happen that God is going to make it for the best. I don’t have to wish; I don’t have to maneuver; I don’t have to manipulate; I don’t have to guess. I can truly know. If God said it, we can be sure of it; we can stake our lives on it. I don’t care how bad it is right now, you can know. Know. Know. Know. And as believers we’ve got to grasp on to this truth. In Romans Paul assures us that things are going to work out. We can know it. If we have this assurance, then why do we let the things that God allows to come into our lives bother us so much? When things begin to get bad, and you begin to have doubts, what you’ve got to do is look back over your life and see how God has come through for you in the past. In fact, that’s exactly what God’s message is to Joshua and the Israelites through Rahab. God uses a pagan prostitute to remind the Israelites of how He has been with them in the past. Rahab had heard the news of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt, the plagues that preceded it and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army in the sea. 40 years after, it is still being talked about in Canaan. The Israelites are prone to forgetfulness, but that’s not the case in Jericho where they are long dreading the coming of God’s people. Rahab knows God will be true to His word. God’s message to you today is to remember how He has been with you throughout your life and use it to strengthen your faith through the tough times today. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Heb 11:1 |