…faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:26

Rahab the prostitute, seen in Joshua 2 and 6, is identified as a woman of faith in Hebrews 11:31. If Rahab were asked, “How would you define faith?” I think she might say something like this:

Faith comes from hearing about God and believing in Him. My people and I were told of how the God of Israel parted the Red Sea, delivering His people. We heard how Yahweh empowered His people to defeat mighty nations. When I heard these stories, I knew they were true. My faith was born. Later when two Israeli spies came to my door, I knew I had to act on my faith in God and protect them, even at risk to my own life. That’s what faith is. It’s acting upon your beliefs, it’s standing alone, and it’s moving forward as God leads, even when risks are involved. It’s being willing to lay down your life in order to follow the one true Lord. 

When you read the book of Ruth, you see Ruth was also a woman of faith. Here is how I think she might define faith:

Faith is a life-long commitment to the Lord God. Faith involves leaving behind that which appears more secure in order to follow Him. When I followed the Lord and my mother-in-law to the land of Israel, I knew I was taking a risk. Why would an Israelite man want to marry a Moabite widow? Without a husband in a foreign land, I could have easily become destitute. But my heart belonged to God and His people, and so I willingly moved forward in faith in spite of the risks. My faith was rewarded. I learned that blessings gained by following the Lord in faith far outweigh what is left behind. 

We have seen two women of faith. Who is the third? Is it you? Have you believed in the one true God? Are you following Him, in spite of risks and, therefore, gaining that which is far greater than anything you could leave behind?

Jan