Redeeming Love

This book is a keeper or one to pass on to a dear dear friend. It is very well written, and, to tell you the truth, I could not put it down. It's emotionally alive. It is a womans book, most men would not be interested. It has spiritual insights and Christian truths. I highly recommend it. A very good read.

I had sworn off novels for the last nearly two decades of my life. At a time when I had grown so tired and weary of my confusion, I picked up this book, given to me two years ago by a friend. It had stayed in the box, then in the shelf, and one weary day God invited me to pick it up, even when I didn't know it was Him. I was just so hungry, so tired. I didn't stop reading, only to get some sleep before the next day's work. I can't remember a time in my life when I cried for three days straight. This was written as fiction, but in deeper ways, it is not. It speaks the truth about who we are, what we have been believing, agreements we have made with the enemy, a perilous journey requiring every ounce of tenacity to dare to listen to the voice of Love and learning faith along the way. Thank you, Francine for sharing your heart. It is shared by so many. Thank You Jesus, for coming after me, coming after my heart, when I believed I didn't deserve You, You kept wooing me back, letting me rest and assured me that I am loved, and that all You want is my love back.

This book had me at the prologue. If your heart isn't squeezing by the end of that then you're probably missing a sensitivity chip. Being that I'm also a sucker for romance and there are parts in this books that have me smiling and awwing like an extreme girly girl. But around page 290, my patience with Sarah was being tested and then tested again. By the last act, I was over it. Truly. There was just one too many 'running away' episodes. Is it true to life, yes, but in a 465 page book it borders on being annoying.

Plus, there's a vast amount of unbelievable fantasy applied to this book. Realistically, both Michael AND Miriam are stalkers or at the very least have stalker-ish mentalities. Let's face it, yeah it was a good thing for Michael to save Angel after her cruel beating, but he didn't have to marry her while she was not in her right state of mind. That was sort of taking advantage of a situation. True he was patient and kind and a whole lot of wonderful adjectives, but let's face it, you can't force someone to fall in love with you. But she did and it all worked out-but the whole marrying her the way he did bothers me a bit.

Then the whole Paul thing. There's forgiving someone and then there's taking forgiveness to a whole new level. I know no man who would still treat his brother in law the way he did after taking advantage of his wife the way he did. He could have forgiven him, but you don't keep bringing him for dinner and forcing your wife to have conversations with the man. It borders on being cruel.

Then there's Miriam and her, hey, I'm the only woman around so why don't you marry me mentality that was disturbing. It came across to me like he lusted after the girl not that he was in love with her. We all know that's two different things. How could he be in love with someone he never had a full conversation with? What did they have in common? Nothing. Love is this book equaled a man finding you attractive. (That also could be applied to Michael. When it all boils down, he didn't know Angel at all.) Can you imagine waking up and someone moving into your house because they think they know what's best for you? Again, in this fantasy book it all works out, but this is the tale of two stalkers.

Yet, the talent of Mrs. Rivers is that she does manage to get you try to turn off your reality switch...at least for a while and try to over simplify major problems. For that I say Bravo.

I had never delved into the Book of Hosea on which this novel is based, but let me tell you, by the time I finished Redeeming Love, I had a hunger to search The Word. What I found in Hosea was not a love story, in fact, there wasn't much about Hosea and his wife at all. What I did find in those 14 chapters was a prophet delivering the word of the Lord and not just speaking God's commands, but following them in his everyday life.

Let me tell you, from chapter 1 to chapter 6, God is angry with his people. Then in the first three verses of chapter 6 He says He has torn us into pieces, but will heal us, restore us and bless us so that we may live in His presence. Then in verse 4, He continues all the way to chapter 14 with series of reprimands and punishments for Isreal because of their disobedience. They had everything, fruitful crops, children to carry on their lineage, all the desires of their hearts, yet they were giving praise to an idol for what God had given them. But through it all, God proves himself merciful and says in chapter 14 that all we have to do is ask for His forgiveness and He will restore us.

Wow, what a powerful message not only for the Isrealites of Hosea's time, but for all who love Him and those who are yet to know Him today. While Redeeming Love is a wonderful book and I am grateful for the talent God has give Francine Rivers, I would encourage everyone to read and study Hosea for themselves. This was life changing for me, not Redeeming Love, but Hosea in the inspired, unfailing Word of God.

Francine Rivers uses Biblical truths in Redeeming Love to accurately display spiritual, physical, and emotional battles that come and go in life. The sacrificial and covenant love that is displayed really tugs at you heart!