There was a lady in scripture named Rahab. She was a Canaanite woman. The Canaanites were descendants of Noah's son, Ham. Ham was the one who saw his father, Noah, drunk and naked, and instead of covering him up and downplaying it, he went out and told everybody. He made it worse. When Noah found out, he cursed Ham and all of his descendants. Years later, Ham's descendant, Rahab, is a prostitute living in Jericho. Her family is under this curse. She could have thought: "It's been passed down to me. I'll always struggle. I'll always make poor choices." But she didn't. She did something to break that curse. She made a decision.
What happened is that one day, Joshua and the Israelites were about to attack her city of Jericho. Joshua sent two men in to spy out the land. Somebody noticed who they were and told the authorities. Just as they were about to be captured, Rahab took the spies in and hid them in her home. They said to her, "Since you've helped us, when we come and attack the city, we're going to spare you and your family."
Even though Rahab had all this negative baggage, even though she was living a dishonorable life, she made the decision to honor God. That one choice changed the course of her family line. That day, God removed the yoke that had been holding her back. That day, God broke the curse that had been in her family for generations.
Here's how good God is: Rahab went on to marry a Jewish man. They had a son named Boaz. Boaz had a son name Obed. Obed had a son name Jesse. Jesse had a son named David. This means Rahab, a former prostitute, is in the family line of Jesus Christ. This is what happens when you make decisions to honor God. The yoke is removed, and you step into the fullness of your destiny.
Today, I want to encourage you that like Rehab, you are one decision away from changing your heritage. You are one decision away from breaking the bondage of the past. This is your time to come out of the old and embrace the new. You can set a new standard for your family. This is a new day and a new year, so get ready for the new blessings God has in store for your future!
"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4:18, NIV)