Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

The Old Testament book of Hosea tells of the marriage of Hosea, a prophet of God, to Gomer, a prostitute of Israel. In Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers retells this story from the perspective of Gomer (known as Angel in the book). Rivers' story is set in 1850s during the California Gold Rush, where men are seeking wealth and pleasure. Even before Angel is sold into child prostitution, her tragic early childhood taught her not to trust men. In this merciless milieu she is forced to bury her soul and sell her body for food and shelter. One day Micheal Hosea, a prayerful Christian man, notices Angel and following God's instruction sets out to bring her home as his wife. Despite being rejected again and again, Micheal perseveres. Only when Angel is beaten to near death does she agree to go with him. At home with Micheal, Angel fights not to give her heart away to her new husband; her old life still controls her; she is untrusting and unable accept Micheal's selfless love. When Angel begins to soften and fall for her husband, she is filled with self doubt. Feeling unworthy of someone as righteous as Micheal, she runs away back to the only life she knows. He goes after her and brings her back home, only for her to run away again and again...

In the biblical story of Hosea, God's chosen nation, Israel (represented by Gomer) repeatedly prostitutes herself before idols. God (represented by Hosea), faithfully loves his chosen nation, forgiving her and restoring her. Redeeming Love follows this allegory in a deeply personal way, exposing Angel's false gods and hardened heart, and expounding God's love and forgiveness through her husband: Micheal's unwavering love is there for Angel, no matter her promiscuous past, or how many times she tries to return there. This story touched me so deeply that I cried several times throughout the book, deeply moved by the realisation of God's patient, forgiving, steadfast love for us.

I think that most of us would on some level be able to relate to Angel, her wounds and false idols that keep her running away from her husband: issues such as pride, control, wealth, relationships, forgiveness, fear and shame. Redeeming Love provides a vivid illustration of how these things can keep us from giving our hearts over to God.

Not only is this book a metaphor of God's redeeming love for his people, it is also a wonderful description of the love of a husband for his wife. Emulating God's love, Micheal's love for Angel is patient, kind, selfless, forgiving, hoping and persevering. In reading this book I was humbled to see the beauty of God's love, and filled with praise and thankfulness to God for showing this love to us.

Boast in the Lord

But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 10:17-18

I find it difficult to boast. My British upbringing has left me favouring a self-effacing facade. I tend to be shy about my achievements and try to avoid drawing attention. However, when it comes to boasting of God, I would do well to throw my Britishness out of the window. For God delights in me when I tell of my salvation through Christ, and when I boast of his great goodness and righteousness. "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!" (Revelation 19:1)

This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:23-24

For when I am weak, then I am strong

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9 -10

After reading this section of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, I began to think about my prayers. When times are tough I tend to ask “Lord, strengthen me so that I can overcome my (light and momentary) troubles”. Whilst this in itself isn’t wrong, my prayer must be preceded by “Lord, show me how weak and frail I am”. Only when I know the extent of my own weakness can I know God’s grace and know that it is sufficient in itself. Only then do I stop trying to rely on myself and instead rely on God, who raises the dead (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:9). Paul recognises his weaknesses and he delights in them because through them God's power is displayed.

So next time I’m praying for difficult situations, my perspective will be changed. Rather than asking for strength to overcome, I will pray “Lord, show me how weak I am, so that your power rests on me." And I will pray the same for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Light and momentary troubles

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Traffic jams... supermarket queues... work/study deadlines... misunderstandings... work stress... rush hour commute... heavy cold... sleepless night... money stress... loneliness... painful relationship... chronic pain... illness... depression...

Do any of these ring true of our "light and momentary troubles"? Some are of course (in my opinion) more serious, painful and significant than others.

Sometimes my troubles scream for my undivided attention - I want to find quick-fix solutions and escape-hatches. I wrap myself up in the here-and-now, search my own resources to try make things better, consequently achieving for myself a spiral of frustration and despair. Having distanced myself from God, my troubles seem far from "light and momentary", let alone "achieving... an eternal glory".

Later in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes some of his "light and momentary troubles": frequent imprisonment... severe floggings... exposed to death... lashings... beaten with rods... stoned... shipwrecked... dangers from bandits/rivers/Gentiles/cities/country/sea/false brothers... sleeplessness... hunger... thirst... cold... nakedness... pressures of concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28)

Paul teaches me a lesson of perspective. Yes, my troubles are minor in comparison to his, but this isn't his point. He doesn't suggest that troubles are painless or insignificant. Rather Paul understood that his hardships are "light" compared to the glory that he will experience, and "momentary" compared with eternity. Paul endured much more than I can imagine because he fixed his eyes on what is unseen. He understood that what is eternal and unseen is more important than anything experienced in life.

In the midst of troubles, I need not lose heart because I have hope of an eternal glory. Moreover I can actually rejoice in suffering because, "... we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4). Though my physical body will fail, inwardly I am being renewed by the Holy Spirit.

But when it comes to it, how do I change my worry, sorrow, exhaustion or despair into hope and rejoicing? Paul tells me to change my perspective; to stop my fixation with the temporary and instead focus on the eternal.

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands... Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 5:1, 5.