Joshua 2: 1-24

Joshua was a military strategist, a great leader and had a heart for God's heart. As a successor to Moses to lead the people into 'The Promised Land' he had a big weight on his shoulders. Before he can invade Canaan, Joshua wisely sends out a few spies on a special reconnaissance mission. He wanted an up-to-date report of the conditions of the inhabitants and especially of the defenses that surrounded the city of Jericho. A prostitute named Rahab lets the spies into her house and so they promise that she and her family will not be harmed.

When you take a nice, hot bath (with plenty of soapsuds!), how often do you jump straight in without even considering the consequences? If you don't, why not? Is it because you are worried about how badly you could burn yourself? That's understandable! Of course you are. My grandma always used to run me a hot bath when I was little. Having done so, she used to dip her hand into the water to see how hot it was. If it was too cold, she would add more hot water, just as if it was too hot she would add some cold water. She never wanted me to get hurt.

In a similar scenario, Joshua cared for his army of men. He didn't want to get them killed needlessly. So he tested the water. He sent spies to look at the city, not out of cowardice, but out of wisdom. Sometimes we can hear a word from God but misinterpret it. Joshua knew that God was going to save the army from loss, but that didn't mean he couldn't prepare the way for it. In our relationship with God we need to prepare the way for Him to do His work in our lives. It's up to us to test the water and do the possible and let God deal with the seemingly impossible.

As it says in James 2:17, for us to have faith means we must have action.