Joshua 2:9-13 -- On Fear of the Lord

"And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:
And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."
Joshua 2:9-13


This is part of the story of Rahab, who hid the spies from Israel when they lodged in her house. What is interesting to me here is that her people were scared because they recognized God's power... and Rahab specifically respected/feared God enough to do His will before the will of her own people and government. Being scared that you will die is probably not the best conversion beginning, but it also isn't that different from why Abraham initially followed God... he wanted a God with power, that could save him, and the relationship built from there. I'm glad her story is in here, and that her family was spared, because that way maybe they all had a chance to change their lives for the better, starting with that initial respect of power.

I don't think it so much matters how we begin with God... we can start by recognizing his power, reading his word, attempting to follow his laws, attending his church, or just wanting to understand him better. Any of these and more... whatever it takes for us to listen just a little bit, God will take it. It's what happens after that matters... how we build that relationship and learn from him, and get to know the spirit. As Psalms 11:10 says, "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" ... not all of it, but a start. :)

Today, let's start wherever we are with God, even if it isn't ideal, and let's build that connection. God will teach us each individually so that we understand in a way that makes sense to us, about his plan and his work. Let's have respect for Rahab putting God first in her life, and work to do the same... and as we do, we will feel his love and grow in his grace, and hopefully understand on a higher level, and thus up our dedication and motivation game. :)