By Faith

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". Hebrews 11:1

This week I am teaching a lesson on Rahab to my AWANA group. It is a huge challenge for me to try to explain the faith of Rahab when I don't quite understand it myself.
I was raised in a Christian home and have been surrounded by stories of faith my entire life. I've read, listened to, and studied Bible stories about people who have acted by faith and I have been taught over and over again the importance of placing my trust in God. And still...my faith is often wavering.
Yet Rahab, a prostitute living in Canaan, didn't have any of these positive influences encouraging her to have faith in the one true God, and when it came down to it - she rocked it. She heard stories of the Israelites release from Egypt, crossing of the Red Sea, and conquering other cities in Canaan - and by these stories alone she knew the God was real and she trusted that He had the power to save her.
She was unworthy, and yet she believed. She was a prostitute, and God used her. She was a sinner, but saved both herself and her family. Her faith is hard to grasp, let alone explain.
Rahab didn't know much about God but she didn't use that as an excuse. She used what she did know to be true to make her decision to hide the Israelite spies and rely on God instead of the gods of the Canaan people.
Oh to have her faith.  I don't know what tomorrow will bring and it is hard to base my faith on what I think God will do in my life, however, if I simply look back on the things that I do know about God, if I look at the many times that he has held me in His hands, the times He provided for us, protected us, and the countless times He has forgiven me, it shouldn't be too difficult to place my faith in Him.
Rahab believed in God and asked the spies to save her.  The thief on the cross next to Jesus recognized that he was the Messiah and asked him to save his life.  My greatest hope for my AWANA kids is that they too will recognize God as the Living God and believe that Jesus is their Messiah and profess their faith so that they too will be saved.

Comments

Rachael said…
I think the key in moving forward in faith is like you mentioned, "looking back." God is so faithful, has been so faithful and will be again. . . yet somehow I will still sometimes forget that amidst the latest hardship.

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