I will pour out my Spirit on all people . . . even on my servants. (Joel 2:28–29)

What was God thinking? The Almighty sent spies into Jericho on a dangerous mission. They would need someone on the inside whom He could count on to get them out safely. So He turned to the most reliable, fearless type of person: a prostitute?

Wait. That can’t be right. Weren’t prostitutes the lowest of the low, even lower than servants? They made a living out of dishonoring their bodies. They were viewed as unreliable. Did God make a mistake, or did He just luck out when Rahab saved the day?

Not a chance.

God specializes in using the lowly and despised so He gets the glory. If you feel like you’re so low on the totem pole that you’re underground, you’re just the type of person God is looking for. It’s hard to imagine how hopeless Rahab’s situation was before she allowed herself to be used by God. Her greatest hope was to have her family spared from the onslaught of God’s mighty army. But check out what God did: He made her a part of the lineage of the Messiah!

I wonder if Rahab influenced her son, Boaz, to marry Ruth, another foreigner and societal bottom dweller who made it into the genealogical hall of fame. Maybe it’s your turn to do the same.

Encourage a person with low self-esteem to a great act of faith, even if it is you.

Dave Knickerbocker is a church planter and aspiring writer from northeast Ohio.