Many of Paraguay’s poor live around the dumps of cities. One man who lives in a shack by one of those dumps began picking out things that he could make into musical instruments for the children that roamed the dumps. Those children have learned and performed pieces by Beethoven, and they have been sought after and taught by some of the world’s greatest musicians. They are truly “pictures of God’s grace.”
In the book of Joshua, Joshua positioned his armies across from the brutal Canaanite city of Jericho;he sent two spies into the city to find details about the enemy. The two men stayed with one of the city’s most famous prostitutes, Rehab, at her brothel. Rehab had a bad reputation, but she did have faith in God. The king of Canaan sent his soldiers to find the two spies, but due to Rehab’s misinformation, the two spies were not found by them. The spies were surprised that a person like Rehab would have faith, but she declared to them that God was the true King.
Some of us find ourselves on the bottom rung of society, have lost everything, and are surrounded by evil, violence, and hatred. If we are really truthful with ourselves, we have all sold out our faiths at different times in our lives; we don’t even meet our own expectations or goals for ourselves, let alone God’s. God’s response to those who doubt His existence is the woman called Rehab. God has a place for all of us, even the poorest of the poor and the most sinful, and He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and find us, the lost.
Joshua’s two spies were really missionaries sent to save Rehab from the battle to be fought. They told Rehab to hang a scarlet rope at her door so that when the Hebrews entered the city, they would not harm her or her family. By her faith, she was saved. We are saved by our faith, not by our pasts. The blood of Jesus Christ on the cross is that scarlet rope that saves us. We are all troubled in our lives, but through our faith, those storms will be calmed. When we meet God at the end of our lives, we will know the “Amazing Grace” of the love of Jesus Christ.
Anna Hartt.
