Part 1 of this month’s Women of the Bible series.
Read Joshua 2:1-21; 6:22-23
Have you ever looked back on your life and wondered about the what ifs?
What if you’d made a different life decision?
Chosen another path?
Taken that other job?
In midlife, those questions can get noisy. It’s easy to look at where we are now and think we could’ve made choices that led to a completely different life.
Maybe there wouldn’t be so much baggage to carry.
Let’s explore the story of a woman in the Bible who likely carried those same regrets.
Defined by the Past
Her name was Rahab.
Her job left her used, lonely, and labeled. Everyone in the city of Jericho knew who she was and what she did. Her reputation followed her everywhere. Her family didn’t associate with her, and any life change felt completely out of reach.
Life was just the way it was.
But for Rahab, a scarlet rope would become the turning point she never saw coming.
A Risky Choice
Word spread quickly through Jericho that the Israelites were coming—and that spies were already inside the city. Rahab’s home was built into the city wall, the perfect place for travelers coming and going. Everyone assumed that if spies had entered the city, they would have passed through her house.
They were right.
Two Israelite spies stopped there during their mission, and the king of Jericho sent a message demanding that Rahab hand them over. But Rahab made a bold choice. She told the king’s men that the spies had already left the city—even though they were hidden safely inside her home.
After the soldiers left, Rahab explained why she did it.
She had heard the stories.
She knew about the Red Sea.
She knew what had happened to the Amorite kings who defied Israel.
And she believed something deeper—that the God of Israel was the true God of heaven and earth.
Before she helped the spies escape, Rahab made one request: “Give me a sign that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
The spies agreed. As she lowered them down the wall with a scarlet rope, they told her to leave that rope hanging from her window. When the Israelites attacked, it would be the sign that her household was to be protected.
Rahab acted in faith before she knew how the story would end. All she had was a promise—and the hope that rescue would come.
Faith in the Wait
After the spies left, Rahab tied the scarlet rope in her window.
And then she waited.
Would someone notice it?
Would anyone suspect something was wrong?
Had she risked everything for nothing?
She didn’t know when the Israelites would arrive, but she did know she had to move quickly. She went to her family and told them what she believed—that this God could save them too. This same family who may have distanced themselves from her… would they trust her now?
Rahab didn’t just believe for herself. She wanted her family to know this God—the One who rescues.
With her family gathered in her home, they waited for the rescue.
Yet nothing happened right away.
Trusting God meant waiting.
When the Israelites finally came, you can imagine the chaos outside that house in the wall—the marching, the trumpets, the fear echoing through the city.
But the scarlet rope was still there.
Even with faith, the delay tested her. Yet that rope became a visible sign of Rahab’s trust. And just as promised, the spies returned. Rahab and her family were led safely out of the city and into the Israelite camp.
From Shame to Legacy
From that single thread of trust, God didn’t just save Rahab—He rewrote her story.
She no longer had to sell herself. She became a wife, a mother, and part of the lineage that would one day lead to Jesus Himself (Matthew 1:5).
No matter where your life is today, God can rewrite your story too.
He doesn’t just forgive—He restores.
He doesn’t just rescue—He reassigns purpose.
The baggage you carry doesn’t disqualify you. In God’s hands, it can become part of a redemption story you never imagined.
Prayer:
Dear Lord—Just like Rahab, I know that regardless of my past, You can give my life new purpose, even in this midlife season. Please take the baggage I carry and teach me to trust You in this season. I believe that even now, You are weaving redemption from every thread of my past. Amen.
Journaling Prompts:
- What “what if” from your past still feels heavy today? How might God be inviting you to release it to Him?
- What would it look like for you to “hang the scarlet cord” in your current season — to take one visible step of faith?
- Are there family members or loved ones you long to see experience God’s rescue? How can you begin praying for them intentionally?
Disclosure: The featured image was created by AI to help illustrate this post and does not represent any actual person or situation.
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