You know, I have always liked Rahab. Despite her occupation, she was a smart woman. As soon as she found out what God was doing for His people, she cast her lot with them even though she was putting herself at risk. You just have to admire that. She forsook all for allegiance to the One true God.

The question before us today is what are we willing to forsake or forgo to align ourselves with God? It seems a really easy question, but if we look introspectively, it is not an easy question to answer. If it were, then fasting would be easier, prayer would be ceaseless and life despite the wrinkles would be smoother.

But the reality is that despite our best efforts, we do not always find it easy nor do we always find it a joy to align ourselves up with the Lord. This is simply because we are warring with our flesh. Our flesh is interested in pleasing itself and our spirit is interested in pleasing God. The two, the flesh and the spirit, occupy the same body, so when they are not in alignment, we have chaos.

So, what can we do? We can beat our flesh into submission by training it in godliness. This will take dedication and effort on our part (hence the word “beat”) to be diligent in studying the Word of God, to pray and to fast – to seek God in all our ways. And, while this may prove difficult in the beginning, the reward far outweighs the sacrifice. For Rahab and for us, it’s a matter of life and death.