WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.240
Day 60 or March the 1st. You don't have to be

00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.460
perfect for God to use you. Our thought today

00:00:08.460 --> 00:00:12.619
is from Joshua chapter 2 verse 12. Now then,

00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:15.460
please swear to me by the Lord that you will

00:00:15.460 --> 00:00:18.739
show kindness to my family, because I have shown

00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:24.320
kindness to you. Give me a sure sign. Now the

00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:28.809
big picture surrounding this verse. Joshua, who

00:00:28.809 --> 00:00:31.530
was one of the faithful spies who explored the

00:00:31.530 --> 00:00:34.570
promised land when Moses led the people, is now

00:00:34.570 --> 00:00:38.109
the leader, and knows he has enormous sandals

00:00:38.109 --> 00:00:41.909
to fill. With the blessing of Moses just before

00:00:41.909 --> 00:00:45.509
he died, Joshua is now commissioned by God to

00:00:45.509 --> 00:00:48.670
take possession of the land promised to the Israelites'

00:00:48.969 --> 00:00:53.229
founder Abraham so long ago. From the east side

00:00:53.229 --> 00:00:55.850
of the Jordan River, they cross in miraculous

00:00:55.850 --> 00:01:00.469
fashion. When the river is at full flow, it amazingly

00:01:00.469 --> 00:01:04.969
stops miles upstream at a place called Adam.

00:01:05.290 --> 00:01:09.390
Isn't it ironic that the water stops at Adam?

00:01:10.469 --> 00:01:13.670
Two spies, with the help of the Canaanite woman

00:01:13.670 --> 00:01:17.530
Rahab, carry out a preliminary survey of the

00:01:17.530 --> 00:01:21.689
city of Jericho. Then the Israelites cross, led

00:01:21.689 --> 00:01:24.469
by the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant.

00:01:25.209 --> 00:01:29.000
At God's command, A memorial of twelve stones

00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:34.060
is built to remind everyone. Now today's action

00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:37.939
step. Rahab was an amazing woman about whom we

00:01:37.939 --> 00:01:41.319
know very little, but what we do know is rather

00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:44.680
mixed. She was a prostitute who helped the two

00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:47.980
spies. She lied to the authorities for them and

00:01:47.980 --> 00:01:51.349
gave them hospitality. Then she asked them to

00:01:51.349 --> 00:01:54.450
return the favour by protecting her whole family

00:01:54.450 --> 00:01:57.709
when her fellow inhabitants of Jericho were wiped

00:01:57.709 --> 00:02:01.510
out. She was certainly useful to God, but she

00:02:01.510 --> 00:02:05.569
was far from perfect. She became one of only

00:02:05.569 --> 00:02:10.050
four named female ancestors of Jesus in Matthew's

00:02:10.050 --> 00:02:16.930
genealogy, Matthew 1 .5. A timely reminder that

00:02:16.930 --> 00:02:20.050
we do not need to be perfect for God to use us.

00:02:20.289 --> 00:02:23.509
Of course, this doesn't mean we can flout God's

00:02:23.509 --> 00:02:27.370
law as long as we do His will. God used Rahab

00:02:27.370 --> 00:02:31.430
despite her sins, not because of them. If, like

00:02:31.430 --> 00:02:35.110
me, you are far from perfect, rejoice that God

00:02:35.110 --> 00:02:38.210
still has a call for you. Do you know what yours

00:02:38.210 --> 00:02:38.750
is yet?