The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. … But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
- Joshua 6:16-17, 25

The fog of war can be devastating. Soldiers lose track of their friends. Unknowns abound. Adrenaline surges and judgment gets clouded by intense emotions.

In the midst of this intense battle, Joshua remembers the commitment the Israelites had made to Rahab and her family. Three times in Joshua 6 the narrative sweeps down to include Rahab and her family, culminating to that beautiful note: “she lives among the Israelites to this day.”

Joshua’s story wouldn’t be complete without these beats that break in to show that he remembered Rahab. Joshua proved faithful. Faithfulness matters. Faithfulness matters even more – perhaps even most – when adrenaline surges and emotions run hot.

Faithfulness matters to us because we have a God who has proven himself faithful. Even as Joshua remembered Rahab in the midst of his great battle, the Lord remembers us in the midst of his great mission. He isn’t so swept up in the grand things he’s doing that he forgets about us. He keeps his commitments to us and loves us.

When in your life have you proven faithful in the heat of battle? What difference does it make to you that the Lord will remain faithful to you?