Trusting in God’s Plan Despite Unlikely Beginnings

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Speaker 1: We gather here today with open hearts and minds to grow.

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Speaker 1: Faith and truth in every word we find the pages of the word alive and full of grace, inspiring faith with him as we seek his faith.

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Speaker 1: Bible bites, Bible bites, starting fake one bite at a time with every bird.

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Speaker 1: First we find our way to live our lives in his light and shine.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to Bible Bites, the podcast where we work to inspire faith one bite at a time.

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Speaker 2: I’m your host, Brandy Black.

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Speaker 2: The story of Rahab is one of the most powerful examples in Scripture of God’s grace working through unlikely people.

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Speaker 2: Though Rahab was a harlot living in Jericho, her faith and courage set her apart and secured a place for her in God’s greater plan.

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Speaker 2: Her example teaches us that no past mistake, background, or reputation is beyond God’s redeeming hand.

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Speaker 2: In both the Old and New Testaments, she is remembered not for her sin, but for her faith

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Speaker 2: A reminder that trusting God’s plan even from the most unexpected beginnings can lead to redemption and purpose

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Speaker 2: Let’s open up with a word of prayer today.

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Speaker 2: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word that reminds us of your mercy, grace, and power to use anyone who chooses to trust you.

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Speaker 2: As we look at the life and faith of Rahab, help us to see how you work in unexpected ways and through unexpected people.

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Speaker 2: Teach us to trust your plan even when a, or even when we cannot see the outcome.

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Speaker 2: And remind us that our past does not determine our future in you.

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Speaker 2: In the name of your son Jesus, we pray.

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Speaker 2: Amen.

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Speaker 2: The account of Rahab begins in Joshua chapter 2, when two spies are sent to scout out the land of Jericho.

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Speaker 2: They enter Rahab’s house, which was located on the city wall, and she hides them from the king’s men who come searching.

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Speaker 2: In Joshua 2,

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Speaker 2: 8 through 11, we hear her confession of faith.

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Speaker 2: I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us.

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Speaker 2: And that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you.

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Speaker 2: For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth below

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Speaker 2: Rahab had heard the stories of God’s mighty acts, the drying up of the Red Sea, the defeat of the powerful kings, and she responded, not with defiance like her people, but with fear

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Speaker 2: Reverence, and belief.

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Speaker 2: Her words show that she recognized God’s sovereignty and trusted his purposes, even before she had seen him and his work first hand.

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Speaker 2: Her actions were just as important as her confession.

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Speaker 2: By hiding the spies and misleading the king’s messengers, Rahab placed herself in great danger

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Speaker 2: If discovered, she could have been executed for treason.

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Speaker 2: Yet, her courage flowed from her faith

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Speaker 2: She believed that siding with the God of Israel, though risky, was the only path to life

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Speaker 2: She asked the spies to spare her and her family when Israel conquered Jericho, and the scarlet cord she tied in her window became both a sign of her faith and the means of her household’s deliverance.

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Speaker 2: This echoes the blood on the doorsteps in Exodus chapter 12, another sign of salvation through obedience to God’s word

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Speaker 2: The New Testament later lifts Rahab’s example high as a model of faith.

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Speaker 2: Hebrews 11:31 states

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Speaker 2: By faith, the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

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Speaker 2: In a chapter filled with Israel’s greatest leaders and patriarchs, Rahab is honored alongside them.

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Speaker 2: Her inclusion is a powerful reminder that

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Speaker 2: Faith is what sets people apart, not pedigree, not background, and not reputation.

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Speaker 2: While the rest of Jericho perished in unbelief.

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Speaker 2: Rahab lived because she trusted in the God of Israel.

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Speaker 2: James writing to show the relationship between faith and works points back to Rahab as well.

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Speaker 2: James 2, verse 25 says, In the same way was Rahab the prostitute not also justified by works, which she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

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Speaker 2: For James, Rahab is a vivid illustration that true faith is never idle.

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Speaker 2: Her belief in God compelled her to act even at personal risk

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Speaker 2: She didn’t just acknowledge who God was.

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Speaker 2: She demonstrated her trust through obedience

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Speaker 2: This connection between belief and action is vital for Christians today, reminding us that our faith is proven not just in words, but also in the choices we make each day

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Speaker 2: Perhaps the most remarkable detail comes, though, in the genealogy of Jesus

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Speaker 2: Matthew chapter one, verses five through six records Solman fathered Boaz by Rahab.

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Speaker 2: Bohaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.

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Speaker 2: Jesse fathered David the King.

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Speaker 2: The same woman who once lived as a harlot in Jericho was not only spared, but also brought into the covenant

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Speaker 2: family of Israel, marrying Solomon and became the great great grandmother of King David.

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Speaker 2: Through this line came the Messiah himself, Jesus Christ

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s story is not just one of rescue, but of redemption.

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Speaker 2: God taking an unlikely beginning and weaving it into the greatest story of all time.

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Speaker 2: This pattern of God using the unexpected is echoed in Paul’s teachings.

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Speaker 2: In 1 Corinthians 1:26 through 29, he writes.

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Speaker 2: For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble

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Speaker 2: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.

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Speaker 2: And God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame those which are strong.

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Speaker 2: so that no human may boast before God.

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s life perfectly illustrates this truth

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Speaker 2: She was not noble, powerful, or respected in her society.

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Speaker 2: Yet, God chose her as a vessel of faith and of redemption

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Speaker 2: Her story confirms that God delights in working through the unlikely, so that his glory, not human achievement, stands out

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s journey from outcast to ancestor of Christ is a testimony to God’s grace and sovereignty.

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Speaker 2: Her past did not define her, her faith did.

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Speaker 2: For Christians today, this truth assures us that no matter our background, failures, or circumstances, God’s plan is greater

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Speaker 2: When we choose to trust him, he could transform our lives and use us for purposes beyond what we could ever imagine.

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Speaker 2: We have some key takeaways and thoughts from our scripture today.

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s story reminds us that God can use anyone regardless of their past.

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Speaker 2: Her reputation as a harlot could have easily made her an unlikely candidate for God’s purposes.

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Speaker 2: But faith, not background, was the defining factor in her life

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Speaker 2: God chose to redeem her story, and instead of being remembered for her sin, she is remembered for her faith

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Speaker 2: For Christians today, this truth should bring hope and encouragement.

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Speaker 2: Our mistakes, failures, or the opinions of others do not determine our worth in God’s kingdom.

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Speaker 2: What matters is a heart that trusts him.

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Speaker 2: If God could use Rahab, then he can certainly use us, no matter where we have been.

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Speaker 2: Another key lesson is that faith must always lead to action.

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Speaker 2: Rahab did not merely acknowledge the power of Israel’s God.

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Speaker 2: She risked her life to protect the spies and obeyed their instructions without hesitation.

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Speaker 2: James 2, verse 25, points directly to her as an example of faith that works itself out in deeds

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Speaker 2: In the same way, Christians today must remember that faith is not passive.

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Speaker 2: It requires obedience, even when the path is risky or costly.

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Speaker 2: Genuine trust in God will always show itself through how we live, how we serve, and how we respond to his leading.

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s life also shows us that God’s plan is bigger than our beginnings.

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Speaker 2: She began as an outcast in Jericho, living on the margins of society.

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Speaker 2: But God had a future prepared for her that she could not have imagined.

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Speaker 2: By faith, she not only found deliverance from destruction, but was grafted into the people of God.

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Speaker 2: Married Solman.

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Speaker 2: and became part of the lineage that led to King David and ultimately to Jesus Christ himself.

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Speaker 2: Her story reassures believers that our starting point never limits God’s ability to use us.

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Speaker 2: No matter how ordinary, broken, or humble our beginnings may be, God can write a future of eternal significance when we surrender to Him

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Speaker 2: Another powerful takeaway from Rahab’s story is that trusting God brings salvation.

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Speaker 2: When Rahab tied the scarlet cord in her window, it was an act of obedience rooted in faith.

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Speaker 2: That cord became the sign of her deliverance, not just for herself, but for her entire household.

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Speaker 2: This event points us forward to the greater salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

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Speaker 2: Just as Rahab and her family were sparred spared from judgment because of her trust in God’s promise

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Speaker 2: So we are spared from eternal separation from God when we place our faith in the finished work of Christ

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Speaker 2: Her story is a vivid reminder that salvation is by grace through faith, and that God’s promises never fail.

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Speaker 2: Finally, Rahab’s actions highlight the importance of hospitality and protecting God’s people

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Speaker 2: She welcomed the spies into her home, sheltered them, and risked her own safety to see them delivered.

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Speaker 2: Her hospitality was not merely kindness.

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Speaker 2: It was a demonstration of allegiance to the God of Israel and solidarity with his people.

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Speaker 2: For Christians today, this teaches us to care for and protect one another, even at personal cost.

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Speaker 2: Romans chapter 12, verse 13 calls us to contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality

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Speaker 2: In a world that often prioritizes self-preservation, Rahab’s example challenges us to put God’s people and his mission above our own comfort

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Speaker 2: Her courage and compassion continue to inspire believers to stand with God’s people even in difficult circumstances.

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s story challenges us to rethink how we view people and ourselves

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Speaker 2: Too often we judge by appearances, past mistakes, or social labels.

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Speaker 2: Jericho saw Rahab only as a harlot.

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Speaker 2: Yet God saw a woman who would place her trust in him

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Speaker 2: Her faith redefined her identity and her future, showing us that God delights in redeeming the most unlikely lies.

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Speaker 2: For Christians, this causes to extend grace toward others and to resist the temptation of writing someone off because of their past.

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Speaker 2: If God’s grace was big enough to transform Rahab, it is certainly big enough to transform anyone we meet, and even us when we feel disqualified

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s example also reminds us that faith is not an intellectual exercise, but a lived reality.

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Speaker 2: Her confession of belief in Israel’s God was powerful

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Speaker 2: But it was her actions, hiding the spies, tying the scarlet cord, that proved her faith was real.

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Speaker 2: James underscores this when he ties Rahab’s story to the principle that faith without works is dead.

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Speaker 2: For believers today, the challenge is to live out our faith in ways that are visible and impactful.

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Speaker 2: Do our choices, priorities, and sacrifices reflect genuine trust in God

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s courage inspires us to step out boldly, trusting God, even when obedience puts us at risk.

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Speaker 2: Another layer of reflection comes from seeing how God’s plan for Rahab was greater than anything she could have anticipated.

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Speaker 2: From her perspective, she was simply trying to save her family from destruction.

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Speaker 2: Yet God used her faith to graft her into the covenant people and place her in the lineage of Christ.

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Speaker 2: This reveals a truth for every believer.

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Speaker 2: God’s plans are always larger and more purposeful than we realize in the moment.

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Speaker 2: When we obey him in faith, even in the small ways, he weaves our lives into his eternal story.

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Speaker 2: It is often only in hindsight that we recognize how he has worked through our faithfulness.

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Speaker 2: Finally, Rahab’s story fits into the broader biblical theme of God using unlikely people to accomplish his purposes.

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Speaker 2: Again, Paul reminds us in First Corinthians one, twenty six through twenty nine, that God often chooses the weak, the foolish, and the lowly to shame the strong and the wise, so that no one may boast before him.

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Speaker 2: Rahab’s life illustrates this truth vividly.

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Speaker 2: By choosing her, God demonstrated his power to redeem and his delight in working through those who would overlook.

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Speaker 2: For us today, this means that no one is too small, too broken, or too unlikely to be used by God.

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Speaker 2: Instead of boasting in our own strength, we learn to rest in His.

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Speaker 2: Before we preview our next episode, let’s close out with a word of prayer.

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Speaker 2: Lord, we thank you for the story of Rahab and the reminder that your grace is greater than our past.

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Speaker 2: Teach us to trust in you with bold faith, to act on that faith with courage, and to believe that you have a greater plan for our lives than we can imagine

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Speaker 2: Help us to see others through your eyes, knowing that you can redeem anyone who turns to you.

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Speaker 2: May we walk daily in faith, obedience, and trust in your perfect plan.

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Speaker 2: We pray these things in the name of your Son Jesus.

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Speaker 2: Amen.

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Speaker 2: In Ruth chapter 1, verses 15 through 18, we see a moment of extraordinary loyalty.

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Speaker 2: Naomi urges her daughters in law to go back to their families, but Ruth refuses.

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Speaker 2: She pledges Where you go, I will go.

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Speaker 2: Your people will be my people, and your God my God.

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Speaker 2: Join us on the next episode of Bible Bytes as we explore Ruth’s unwavering devotion and the courage behind her commitment to Naomi.

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Speaker 1: Bible bites, Bible bites, Inspiring Fake one bite at a time with a free first

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Speaker 1: First we find our way to live our lives in his life and shine

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Speaker 1: Bubble bites, bubble bites, inspiring things one bite at a time.