I am a college student and I am an English major. I plan to use my degree to teach at the middle or high school level. With that being said I read a lot of books. I mean a lot. It's basically my job at this point. So yes I have my favorites and I usually can't help but recommend a good book to those around me or to those who I think will enjoy them. This also means that I take recommendations from others very seriously. Throughout the past couple of years I kept coming across people posting or telling me about a book called Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
I thought sure if I happen to stumble upon it while in the book store I might check it out. I always seemed to find another book in my hand before that one. However, after seeing more about it more than ever withing the last few months I put it on my Christmas list. It very quickly found its way into my re-read, category. I finally understood all of the recommendations and the obsession.
The novel is based on the book of Hosea in the bible. Now let me clearly say that no novel or modern representation should every take place of the bible and I encourage referring to the bible before reading this novel because it will resonate on a much deeper level. With that being said I believe that this book takes a turn on the event making it more modernized and more applicable and easier to understand and create a purpose for girls today. Here are some reasons that I thing every girl should read Redeeming Love.
God's unconditional love.
“Mara, that's the life I want to give you. That's what I'm offering you. I want to fill you life with color and warmth. I want to fill it with light. Give me a chance”
I think many girls struggle with the idea of being loved. I mean girls are always trying to get those hearts on Instagram right? Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with that. It is how humanity and especially girls are made. In search of an unconditional love. In this novel God's unconditional love is symbolized by Hosea's wife. His wife has had a pretty terrible past, has ran away from her husband, and continues to turn to sin. However, her husband will not and cannot give up on her.
See that is how God with is us. No matter how many times we run away from him or fall into sin God cannot stop loving us. He doesn't want to! His love is unconditional. This novel puts this in to terms that really stick with readers in that it is so touching and moving. If girls read this book and put themselves in the book they can understand on a new level how Gods love truly cannot wither or change.
It's never too late to be redeemed.
“...for some of us, one mile can be more to walk than thirty.”
This novel expresses that no matter what our past is or how messed up we think we are we can never be too messed up for God. God's love is redeeming. It can redeem you of from your past mistakes, from your own anxieties, and from your fears. The great thing about God is that he can see every ugly part of you, and yet still love you. Throughout this novel we see a young girl with a pretty ugly past receive redeeming love the way we can receive it from God.
Freedom is found in God.
“I want to be free Michael, just for once in my whole life I want to be free"
"You are free. You just don't know it yet”
We all try to be free. However sometimes this can be in harmful ways. We think that our freedom can be found in our own selfish pride where we just focus on ourselves. Some think that freedom is found by constantly living in the comfort zone. The protagonist in this novel wants to be free and she thinks she can only get that by not needing love or help from anyone around her. Sometimes we think we can get freedom by trying to make ourselves independent from God. However, the truth is that we find our truest freedom when we surrender ourselves over to God. The protagonist has to learn how to do this in the novel.
God's Vow to you.
God wants to make a vow to you. He wants to promise you so many gifts. However, just like the characters in the novel you have to be willing to recieve these gifts. Just as the husband makes vows to his wife it is pretty clear that God wants to make a vow to the ladies even today as the novel states,
“I promise to love and cherish you, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth,in the bad that may darken our days, in the good that may light our way. Tirzah, beloved, I promise to be true to you in all things until I die. And even beyond that, God willing”
