Unlikely allies

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”
- Joshua 2:1-2

When we follow God, we often find ourselves with unlikely allies.

As the spies entered Jericho, they ended up in Rahab’s house. The text doesn’t exactly tell us why. Were they looking for sex? Were they trying to maintain their anonymity? Was her house a gathering place where the spies could overhear gossip? We don’t know.

What we do know is that their attempt at spying almost ended in disaster. They had hardly arrived in Jericho before the king of the city knew about their presence. Armed men were sent to capture or kill the spies. They couldn’t escape on their own. They needed an ally.

That’s when Rahab steps in. As we’ll see tomorrow, she aids the Israelite spies. She does this at great risk to herself and her family. And she saves their lives.

As you walk with the Lord in the life and calling he’s given you, he will likely send allies your way. They may not be the people you expect to help you. They may be people who you think are morally corrupt or obnoxious. They may not be the people you would choose. But the Lord knows what he’s doing.

The Lord loves to create unlikely alliances. He doesn’t pick the predictable path. He delights in connecting people to each other who have every reason to hate each other and to use their relationship to bring great good into the world.

How does it shape your view of the world to think that God may have some unlikely allies out there for you? How would this conviction influence the way you treat your enemies and people you find obnoxious?

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