These last couple of weeks The Holy Spirit has given Robbie a phrase to chew on the phrase is “God of the Second Wind.” One day he was thinking and meditating on a previous message that he heard a couple of years ago the message is called “God of the Second Wind” by Pastor Rick Wilkerson Jr. Robbie heard that message at the Forward Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in 2013.
“God of the Second Wind” as he ponders that phrase Robbie reminds himself of the Heroes of Faith that readers read about in the Bible that has experienced the “God of the Second Wind.” Every story in the Bible reveals to the reader this characteristic of God, but there is not enough time to look at every story, but in this series, four heroes will be looked at Rahab, Ruth, Jonah, and Samson. This series will be done in four parts part one on Rahab, part two on Ruth, part three on Jonah, and part four on Samson. Before these heroes’ stories are spoken about you as the reader first must know what does the phrase the “God of the Second Wind” mean? Simply its meaning, its action is Grace and Mercy and through the actions of Grace and Mercy God gives a second chance.
Rahab’s story is in Joshua 2 and 6, but she also is in Matthew 1:5, Hebrews 11:31, and James 2:25. Rahab’s story speaks of Grace and Mercy here is a prostitute, but yet because she feared God because she knew that the God of Israel is more powerful than any other god (Joshua 2:8-11) and because she protected the spies those actions opened the door for “God’s Second Wind” to come into her life. “God’s Second Wind” for Rahab’s life is amazing God rescues her and her family. God makes them part of Israel that enough would have expressed that God is the “God of the Second Wind” However, the great thing about Grace and Mercy is that it always holds surprises that he or she never sees coming. God decides to do something that no one sees coming He adds Rahab to the genealogy of Jesus Christ Matthew 1:5 NLT says “Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.”
“God’s Second Wind” for Rahab consists of Salvation for her and her family, being a part Israel, marrying Salmon, and having her name listed in the family line that would bring Jesus into the world! Don’t you feel the weight of that? Wow! It does not end there either Furthermore, she is in Hebrews 11:31 NLT “31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”
Christians know this Chapter in the Bible as the “Hall of Faith” people believe that this terminology comes from the Hall of Fame that all professional sports, collegiate sports, and the entertainment world have for those who are the best of the best. Is it not true that when fans hear who is in the Hall of Fame or who just got inducted into this year’s class questions, and comments are made about if he or she should be a part of the Hall of Fame. Questions like “Did they do enough to deserve it?” or “Why did they choose him or her?” Sometimes the fans agree with the committee and then other sometimes the fans disagree with the committee. Opinions on why or why not he or she should or should not be part of the Hall of Fame come out or conversations about how another athlete or entertainer deserved to be inducted into the Hall of Fame more than the athlete or entertainer that got in.
This question can be asked and is asked about Rahab “Does she deserve the induction into the Hall of Faith?” To answer that question we must see what God’s qualifications are for induction into the Hall of Faith. The qualifications are 1. God’s Grace and Mercy in the individual’s life, 2. Faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 3. Having a fear of God, and 4. Having a BIG YES is his or her heart to honor God in their lives. All four of these qualifications are in one action of Faith, and that action is Faith in what Jesus did on the Cross. By taking the punishment for everyone’s sin, and those who believe He did this for them they will have eternal life and receive an induction into the Hall of Faith. Rahab lived by faith; she did works by faith (James 2:25-26 NLT 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.), and she lived in the abundance of Grace and Mercy that God gave her in her life! In every Hall of Fame definitely inside the Hall of Faith, fans and observers will find inductees who at first may not seem that he or she should be there, but they are there because of Grace and Mercy because God gave them a second wind.
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