Daily Devotional
"Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household."
Joshua 2:18
The scarlet cord that saved Rahab’s life became a symbol of God’s complete acceptance. She wasn’t rescued just to live on the margins of Israelite society. She wasn’t given a probationary status or treated as a second-class citizen because of her background. Instead, she was fully welcomed into the community of God’s people.
But God’s acceptance of Rahab went far beyond even that. She married into the tribe of Judah, became the mother of Boaz, the great-grandmother of King David, and ultimately became an ancestor of Jesus Christ Himself. The pagan prostitute from Jericho is listed in the genealogy of the Messiah. This is scandalous grace at its finest.
Too many believers struggle with feelings of spiritual inadequacy because of their past. They think God might love them, but surely He couldn’t use them significantly. They imagine themselves as permanently marked by their former life, destined for spiritual mediocrity. But Rahab’s story demolishes that lie.
When God saves us, He doesn’t just rescue us from judgment; He adopts us into His family with full privileges. We don’t earn our way up from second-class status. We are immediately and completely accepted as beloved children with full inheritance rights.
Today's Challenge
How does your past cause you to feel like a second-class Christian? How does Rahab's complete acceptance and elevation challenge those feelings?
Prayer
Father, thank You that Your grace doesn't create different levels of acceptance in Your family. Help me to fully embrace my identity as Your beloved child, regardless of my past. Show me how You want to use my story, including the broken parts, for Your glory and others' good. Free me from shame that would limit how You want to work through me. Amen.
