Least Likely

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The reading for today titled, Least Likely, was written by Kenneth Peterson. An agent must be the little gray man, she says, someone nondescript, not flashy.

You want them to be forgettable. The best agents are those least likely to appear like agents. When two of Israel's spies slipped into Jericho in Joshua chapter 2, it was Rahab who hid them from the king's soldiers. She was seemingly the least likely person for God to employ as an espionage agent.

For she had three strikes against her. She was a Canaanite, a woman, and a prostitute. Yet, Rahab had started to believe in the God of the Israelites. Your God is God in heaven. She hid God's spies under flax on the roof, assisting in their daring escape. God rewarded her faith. Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute with her family. Sometimes we might feel the least likely to be used by God.

Perhaps we have physical limitations, don't feel flashy enough to lead, or have a tarnished past. But history is filled with nondescript believers redeemed by God, people like Rahab, who were given a special mission for his kingdom. Be assured, he has divine purposes for even the least likely of us. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Joshua chapter 2 verses 1-4 and verses 9-14. So, the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab. Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. Now picking up in verse 9, she said to them, I know that the Lord has given you this land, and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 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. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear, and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.

Our lives for your lives, the men assured her. If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land. Let's pray. Dear God, we often doubt our ability to do important things for you.

Who am I, we think? Thank you for the reminder that you use even those who seem the least qualified to make a big impact for your kingdom. Would you please help us to be ready for your calling and willing to move with confidence, knowing that you are the one empowering us? Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Wes Ward, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.