If I Were a Prostitute

If I were a prostitute, God would love me anyway. He may even give me one of the highest honors you could possibly ever receive.

Have you ever noticed this? It's one of my favorite secrets in the Bible.

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 

Do you know who Rahab was? Every other time she is mentioned in the Bible, she is mentioned as Rahab the prostitute.

And then amazingly, she appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. A prostitute appears in the blood line of Jesus Christ. Why? Read on.....because He's good.

Rahab's story is found in Joshua 2. When Joshua and the Israelites were finally headed into the Promised Land after over forty years in the wilderness, Joshua sent two spies into Jericho. Those spies found a safe haven in Rahab's home.

Rahab had heard of all the things the Lord had done for the Israelites and proclaimed to the spies that night,

"For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."

Later in the story when Jericho fell by the hands of the Israelites, the only ones spared were those in the house of Rahab the prostitute.

You know what I love about the Lord? He doesn't care what you've done or who people think you are. He doesn't even care what people call you. He doesn't care what you've thought or how you feel. He only cares about your heart. He only asks that you believe in Him, and follow His lead.

In all of my emotions about fostering and in all of my doubt and frustration, He has never left me. He has never once thought less of me because of how I feel. He loves me because I love Him. And the most beautiful part of it all is that He loved me before I loved Him.

Tonight when I was re-reading Rahab's story, it was as if the Lord simply re-affirmed me. {You are enough. You are exactly who I called you to be, and you are doing exactly what I called you to do. It doesn't have to look perfect right now. It is all part of my perfect plan.}

It was all I needed.

To simply know that I am not defined by what I have done or the things I have thought or even the emotions that I sometimes feel is a refreshing reminder of who God really is. Instead I am defined by the One I call Father....by my compass, my support, my Abba. And oh, what a glorious thing it is to have Him on your side.

Do you need to remember that today? He doesn't label you by who you are. He labels you by who you love and what you believe. Do you love Him and believe Him? That's really all He cares about. There is nothing you could have ever done that isn't wiped clean by the blood of Christ. It's sweet sweet news isn't it?

Call it a journey. Call it an adventure. Call it whatever you want. We'll continue to call it, "Seeking God's will for our life." May you do the same daily.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

.....day 232 of a year of writing.....