As the story goes, the King of Jericho learned about the spies and their whereabouts and he sent a message to the harlot asking her tell where the spies were because they knew that the spies were sent to scout out the land. For the King of Jericho, this was an urgent matter because it was an indication to him that the promise of God to the Children of Israel was imminent. He had heard that God promised the Israelites that they would possess the land.
But this woman, this harlot, in fact refused to give up the spies or to alert the King to their presence. As a matter of fact she not only hid these spies, but she also lied about where the spies went. She didn't deny that the spies had been to her home, but she advised that they were no longer there and that if the King wanted to find them, he'd better hurry up and go after them. Lying to throw the King off of the trail was a treasonous action. But this prostitute decided that after all that she had seen and heard about God and the people of God, that she'd rather take her chances hiding out the spies of people who were about to take over her home than to be loyal to her country and her king.
Let's examine this situation. First of all, this woman's occupation was not favorable and put her into a class of individuals who's behavior was not acceptable. It made her less credible in the eyes "good folks." It made her less desirable to be associated with in pubic. Interestingly though it also apparently made her the target of much observation and gossip, because the spies weren't at her house good before word got back to the king that there were some spies in town and that they were at her house.
From the spies' perspective, this must have seemed like the worst place to hid out. They must have been thinking, "We've only been here a few minutes and already folks are here looking for us!" They must have thought Joshua was wrong and the whole plan was about to be exposed because they were with the weakest link.
There are times in our lives when God entrusts us with ministry, with people's secrets and to do great things, but we do not see ourselves in a favorable light. We begin to wonder why God would choose us to do His will in our wretched and undone state. We feel like the weakest link.
But like this woman, God places the future of His people in our hands so that He will be glorified and so that His people can be edified. Where we may feel inadequate, God is saying, "My strength is made perfect in your weakness." He wants us to know that He's putting order, rulership and governance in the hands of those that others may have shunned or talked about or ignored or put down. He's trusting you to understand what it's like to be lied on and gossiped about. He's betting that your experiences will give you compassion and a soft heart. So where you couldn't see yourself as the best choice, God made you the perfect choice.
There was a game show where the host would say to the player who couldn't answer the question, "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" But I'm sharing with you that God says today that, "You're not the weakest link. Hello!" You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are the lender and not the borrower. You can carry out the will of God for your life. You can evangelize. You can start a business that benefits God's people. You can take care of children. You can get your education. You can minister from your experiences. You can share your testimony. You can share the Word of encouragement, life, reconciliation and redemption. You can by faith.
The woman in this passage of scripture had seen and heard about the wonders of the God of the Children of Israel. She had heard about how He delivered them over and over. She was in awe of God and His people and it must have dawned on her when the spies showed up at her home and even more when the King sent to try to find them that she was involved in something huge. It must have occurred to her because she asked the spies to remember her and her family and to keep them alive when they returned to occupy the land.
It is high time that you realize the situation that you are in. You have seen the scripture and heard the Word. You have seen what God can do for others and you have experienced what He has done for you. As a result, it is high time that you now realize that you have the opportunity to stay in position so that you can play your part in fulfilling the will of God. Hold your ground. Stay in place. Operate in your authority. You are not the weakest link.
Today choose to trust that God has a plan that includes you. That He is seeking your obedience and your willingness. That He makes no mistakes. That you are supposed to hid the Word in your heart and to share it with your family. That you are supposed to love people and through that love you are to cover a multitude of sins. That you are needed to share what God has done for you so that someone else can overcome. Trust that when you feel weak, God will be there to work through you so that everyone will know that only He could have done it. God will be glorified and the enemy horrified by you staying in position.
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