12/29/25: When Faith Goes First

“There is no greater God. He is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”— Joshua 2:11

That’s Rahab talking.

Not a priest.

Not a prophet.

Not someone raised inside the covenant.

Rahab. A woman living on the margins. A woman whose address was literally built into a wall that was about to come down.

And yet, before Jericho fell. Before Israel crossed over. Before God did the dramatic part we love to quote and preach. Rahab spoke with conviction.

She didn’t say, “I hope your God wins.”

She didn’t say, “Let’s see how this turns out.”

She said, “I know.”

That word hits differently when you notice when she said it.

Rahab believed before there was proof. She trusted before there was safety. She aligned herself with God while everything around her still looked solid, secure, and unshaken. The walls were standing, but her faith had already moved past them.

And here’s the thing… Rahab’s faith wasn’t quiet. It wasn’t private. It wasn’t tucked away as a personal belief she kept to herself. Her faith spoke. Out loud. At risk to herself. With consequences attached.

And that kind of faith costs something.

We talk a lot about faith that waits patiently. Faith that endures. Faith that hangs on. But Rahab shows us faith that declares. Faith that names God as sovereign while the world still looks undefeated. Her declaration didn’t follow the miracle. It preceded it.

How often do we wait for God to prove Himself before we trust Him publicly? Before we align our choices. Before we put our name next to belief instead of keeping it safely internal. Rahab reminds us that faith isn’t just believing God can. It’s deciding who you stand with before the outcome is guaranteed. It’s choosing allegiance before clarity. It’s recognizing that the God who rules heaven also rules the earth beneath you, even when your circumstances suggest otherwise.

And maybe that’s the invitation for us.

To speak faith before the walls fall.

To trust God before the evidence catches up.

To declare who God is while the ground is still shaking.

Because the truth is, the walls don’t fall because we believe.

They fall because God is God.

Faith just positions us to walk through the rubble when they do.

And somehow, beautifully, mysteriously, Rahab’s declaration became the doorway to her redemption, her protection, and her legacy in the lineage of Jesus.

Not because she was perfect.

But because she believed before it was safe.