““I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.” “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.””
Joshua 2:9-14 NLT
God appreciated pragmatism. The caveat is that it must be sound in its judgment. Rahab may have been a lowly prostitute but in God’s kingdom, she had the equal ability to choose him, as kings and prophets. She saw an opportunity to be in his good graces because she accurately read the signs. She was aware enough about the gossip surrounding the coming Israelites to believe that their promise of invasion and slaughter was true and so she acted accordingly. This was, in essence, a demonstration of faith. Being a prostitute, Rahab was more than likely a survivor in many ways. She brought that skill to the forefront and parlayed it into an installation into the the royal line of the Messiah. We too should be cunning and pragmatic when opportunities arise. We should bank on God’s good graces and seek refuge in him from the difficulties that lie ahead. The scripture says that, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to cleanse us and forgive us.” We should bank on this fact.
JOSH McGARY. COM 