Faith Is Spelled RISK

Pastor has said many times that he spells faith: RISK. That’s because faith is hard, faith takes guts, and faith can be lonely. But despite all of that, faith can be rewarding and full of blessing, if we stay the course.

Hebrews 11 is all about faith and it talks about many from the Old Testament who persevered because of their faith. Although there are many women in the bible, there are only two listed in Hebrews 11, Sarah and Rahab, which indicates to me that their acts of faith were significant. The story of Rahab is an amazing illustration of faith; she was the perfect example of someone who had every reason to believe that she didn’t deserve God’s mercy and grace, but instead, despite her “occupational hazard,” she reached out to God in a desperate situation. Rahab hid spies in her house, lied to officials who were searching for the spies, asked for favor when the city of Jericho would be destroyed, then gave the spies instruction for a safe exit. God rewarded Rahab for her risky act of faith, by saving her and her family, as the spies had promised.

God did not contemplate His decision because she was a prostitute; He didn’t delay her reward because of her past choices. That is not the kind of God we serve. He’s not looking for perfection, He’s looking for sincerity. You do not have to be a “well-rounded” believer to reap the blessings of God; if this were true, the thief on the cross would have never made it to heaven. With much to lose, Rahab risked her life to believe and trust God with her whole heart, that her family would be saved from certain death, and because she did, she witnessed the goodness of God.

What are you willing to risk to see God’s truths and blessings manifested in your life?