Defining Moment

Defining Moment

Rahab

Read: Joshua 2:3

When the two Israelite spies chose to stay in Rahab’s house overnight, it triggered a defining moment in her life. The king of Jericho soon learned about the men’s presence in the city and their mission to spy out the land. He immediately sent soldiers to demand that Rahab turn over the men. If Rahab complied, she would probably be generously rewarded for protecting her city. If the king learned that she had hidden the men on her roof, she would be executed for treason. Would Rahab obey her king or act on the little knowledge she had of Israel’s Yahweh?

Many of us have faced a defining moment similar to Rahab’s. We may be offered a promotion and a nice raise, but the extra hours would force us to neglect our family’s needs. Or we might be confronted with a situation where our boss expects us to do something that contradicts God’s ways, and our refusal might mean being fired. We may have to decide between pursuing our own interests and making a commitment to care for a parent with Alzheimer’s.

Sometimes our circumstances force us to choose between turning down something in order to follow God more fully or just going along with the status quo. Rahab’s choice would determine whether she placed her allegiance with her own pagan city or with Israel’s God, who had demonstrated his powerful protection of his people. In a similar way, our daily choices determine whether we will follow the earthly kingdom around us or God’s Kingdom, which represents a better way of living. It’s always hard to turn down something that looks valuable or necessary to our happiness, but in the long run, obeying God is always the better choice.

What is God asking you to turn down in order to follow him more fully?