"By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." Hebrews 11:31
In the sport of running, a negative split is a term used to define a racing tactic in which a runner will finish the second half of a race faster than the first half almost always ensuring a better time than if the athlete had sprinted the first half and then struggled to finish the rest. The reason this works is because it can take your body several miles to warm up and get your muscles and joints ready for the second half of the race-and so by conserving resources early on, a runner can expect to have the strength and energy left to finish even better than how he or she began.
When it comes to finishing well, there is perhaps no greater story in the bible of a person with a "negative split" than Rahab. You see Rahab spent the first part of her life as a prostitute in a wicked place that was under God's condemnation and part of a sinful pagan culture. But when Joshua's spies were sent to investigate the city and in danger of being killed, she showed her faith by hiding them and trusting God to keep her and her family safe (Joshua 2). You see faith is the key to turning things around! It's faith that caused Rahab to do what was right, in spite of her circumstances, and faith that allowed her to forget her past and move forward. She may not have realized it then but her past was just a warmup!
When it comes to finishing well, there is perhaps no greater story in the bible of a person with a "negative split" than Rahab. You see Rahab spent the first part of her life as a prostitute in a wicked place that was under God's condemnation and part of a sinful pagan culture. But when Joshua's spies were sent to investigate the city and in danger of being killed, she showed her faith by hiding them and trusting God to keep her and her family safe (Joshua 2). You see faith is the key to turning things around! It's faith that caused Rahab to do what was right, in spite of her circumstances, and faith that allowed her to forget her past and move forward. She may not have realized it then but her past was just a warmup!
And talk about a person finishing better than they began, Rahab was no longer viewed as a prostitute but as a dearly loved woman worthy, by grace, to be part of the lineage of our Savior Jesus Christ. And you know what? Just as that sinner turned her life around, you and I can do the same. Once we choose to follow Christ, our pasts no longer matter. The slate is wiped clean and we are free to run the race better than the way we began.
Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful example of the way faith can truly turn a person's life around. Help us to know, without a doubt, that no matter what we have done that it is never too late to start over and finish the race well. And help us to be bold to share this good news with others that they too might find the strength to carry on. It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
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Day one - Matthew West
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