Wounded by God's People Read Online Free
Author: Anne Graham Lotz
obvious that she had been on a spiritual quest and arrived at an inescapable conclusion:
Israelâs God is the one true God
. 10 So she boldly put out a very small tendril of faith, wrapping it around the character of the God about whom she had heard. Summoning her courage and knowing this was her only chance for deliverance, she seized the opportunity to make a deal with the spies: she would spare their lives if they would save hers. Her desire was to belong to the God of Israel. I wonder if she held her breath as shewaited for their answer. If so, she didnât have to hold it for long. They agreed! Their words were surely heavenâs answer to her heartâs cry. If she would hide them and then help them escape the city, they would see to it that she and all in her house were saved when Jericho was destroyed.
Approximately three weeks later, the Israelites broke camp and advanced. When the walls of Jericho fell in a terrifying mushroom cloud of dust and debris, only one section remained standing. Perched on the top of that section was Rahabâs house, marked by a scarlet cord dangling from her window to identify her location to the invading Israelite army. She had kept her part of the deal. As she gazed out at the destruction from her precarious position, she must have had a moment of sheer panic. Would the spies keep their part of the deal? Would their God really care about one Canaanite prostitute?
I can only imagine Rahabâs terror as she felt the earthquake-like tremor when the walls collapsed and she was surrounded by all the terrifying sounds of battle â clashing weapons and the cries of those in the city being put to death, the rebel-like yell of Israelite soldiers as they advanced on the now exposed city, and then the sound of soldiersâ feet pounding up her steps. Her door must have suddenly burst open, and Israelites covered with dust shouted, âRahab, youâre saved! The God of Israel has commanded us to save you and all that are in your house!â 11 Then Rahab knew for certain â
God is real!
And merciful! And He truly does love those who are on the periphery.
Like Rahab, I wonder if youâve been considered an outsider ⦠on the periphery ⦠for a long time. Perhaps generations of your family have lived separated from the one living God â separated fromtruth, real goodness, righteousness, and holiness. Wounding can actually be a byproduct of our cultureâs creed â¦
Donât get mad, get even.
Donât let anyone walk over you.
Insist on your rights.
Assert yourself.
Whatever feels right is right.
If it works, do it.
Successful people donât fail.
More money means more happiness.
Tell people what they want to hear; never mind the truth.
Grab all the gusto you can.
If you donât put your interests first, who will?
Because youâve been raised in this culture, have these misguided values trapped you in a fortress-like environment that is suffocating your spirit? Like Rahab, do you feel you are hopelessly stuck behind walls and walls of sin that impact â¦
    your memories and your marriage,
        your children and your career,
            your lifestyle and your outlook,
                your culture and your choices,
            your environment and your entertainment,
        your attitude and your ambition,
    your reactions and your reasoning â¦
Sin thatâs like a powerful Canaanite fortress from which you canât escape? Sin that has separated you from God and placed you on the outside.
As you read this, if your own heart has been quickened with longing for a different way of life, a longing to be set free, for truesalvation from sin, then I invite you to cry out to the God of Rahab. He is the same today
Israelâs God is the one true God
. 10 So she boldly put out a very small tendril of faith, wrapping it around the character of the God about whom she had heard. Summoning her courage and knowing this was her only chance for deliverance, she seized the opportunity to make a deal with the spies: she would spare their lives if they would save hers. Her desire was to belong to the God of Israel. I wonder if she held her breath as shewaited for their answer. If so, she didnât have to hold it for long. They agreed! Their words were surely heavenâs answer to her heartâs cry. If she would hide them and then help them escape the city, they would see to it that she and all in her house were saved when Jericho was destroyed.
Approximately three weeks later, the Israelites broke camp and advanced. When the walls of Jericho fell in a terrifying mushroom cloud of dust and debris, only one section remained standing. Perched on the top of that section was Rahabâs house, marked by a scarlet cord dangling from her window to identify her location to the invading Israelite army. She had kept her part of the deal. As she gazed out at the destruction from her precarious position, she must have had a moment of sheer panic. Would the spies keep their part of the deal? Would their God really care about one Canaanite prostitute?
I can only imagine Rahabâs terror as she felt the earthquake-like tremor when the walls collapsed and she was surrounded by all the terrifying sounds of battle â clashing weapons and the cries of those in the city being put to death, the rebel-like yell of Israelite soldiers as they advanced on the now exposed city, and then the sound of soldiersâ feet pounding up her steps. Her door must have suddenly burst open, and Israelites covered with dust shouted, âRahab, youâre saved! The God of Israel has commanded us to save you and all that are in your house!â 11 Then Rahab knew for certain â
God is real!
And merciful! And He truly does love those who are on the periphery.
Like Rahab, I wonder if youâve been considered an outsider ⦠on the periphery ⦠for a long time. Perhaps generations of your family have lived separated from the one living God â separated fromtruth, real goodness, righteousness, and holiness. Wounding can actually be a byproduct of our cultureâs creed â¦
Donât get mad, get even.
Donât let anyone walk over you.
Insist on your rights.
Assert yourself.
Whatever feels right is right.
If it works, do it.
Successful people donât fail.
More money means more happiness.
Tell people what they want to hear; never mind the truth.
Grab all the gusto you can.
If you donât put your interests first, who will?
Because youâve been raised in this culture, have these misguided values trapped you in a fortress-like environment that is suffocating your spirit? Like Rahab, do you feel you are hopelessly stuck behind walls and walls of sin that impact â¦
    your memories and your marriage,
        your children and your career,
            your lifestyle and your outlook,
                your culture and your choices,
            your environment and your entertainment,
        your attitude and your ambition,
    your reactions and your reasoning â¦
Sin thatâs like a powerful Canaanite fortress from which you canât escape? Sin that has separated you from God and placed you on the outside.
As you read this, if your own heart has been quickened with longing for a different way of life, a longing to be set free, for truesalvation from sin, then I invite you to cry out to the God of Rahab. He is the same today
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