Melting Heart
Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Joshua 1, 2, 3
Joshua 2:10-11 (NIV)
10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
Hebrews 11:31 (NIV)
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
Good morning!
Wouldn’t you love to be able to spend a day looking through the lens of God’s eye? He sees the most amazing things in some of the strangest people. God chooses to reveal Himself to Rahab, a prostitute residing in the city of Jericho. Now, here was a woman who was well-known in town! Her home was built into the wall of the city, a strategic location to run a lucrative business. Her combination bed, breakfast and brothel may have paid the bills but it could not satisfy Rahab’s broken heart. Her lifestyle left her hanging off the edge of a corrupt and immoral society. Rejected by many, and used by so many more, Rahab was beginning to feel extraordinarily vulnerable. She feared for the safety of her family, and she knew it was only a matter of time before what little life she had left would be lost forever. Rahab opened her mind to the possibility that the God of the Israelites was indeed, the Almighty Lord of all. She chose to take a risk of faith, and by doing so, God completely melted her heart, transforming this woman into someone He could use for Kingdom work.
Rahab opened her home to the spies, hiding them on the roof and lying to protect them. She put feet to faith, by sending the Jericho patrol on a wild goose chase outside the city walls, and bartering with the spies for the security and protection of her family. She begged for salvation. God graciously gave Rahab the desire to receive and believe. Because of her generosity to the Israelite spies, Rahab and her family were spared in the destruction of the city. They received immunity and were given permanent residence within the Israelite community of faith.
I can relate to Rahab. Her story could have been mine. For many years, I modeled a hard and callous heart. Angry and bitter, I chose to blame everyone around me for my circumstance in life. It took a supernatural act of God to straighten me out. When His love finally got hold of me, my heart melted like butter in a thirty-second microwave moment. Every morning when I get on my knees, I am reminded that I did not deserve a second chance; therefore, total abandon and complete trust is the least I can offer to my Jesus in return.
If the Lord can melt a heart like Rahab, or even a heart like mine, just imagine what He can do for you! Jesus came to save the sick, the lost, the lonely, and even the strange ones! If you call on Him today with a sincere and humble heart, He will melt you down and transform you into a child He can use. Believe me; life is so much sweeter when we let our defenses drop at the foot of the cross. Jesus hung on a tree in shame and agony to take away your sin. He gives each of us a second chance today. What will it take for you to give your heart completely to Jesus?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: the Lord to melt your heart and mold it into something beautiful that He can use for His kingdom work. Are you willing to be transformed into His likeness? Will you make a leap of faith today?
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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