When I was in Texas late this summer, I asked my friend, Lei Ann, what her favorite Christian book was that she had ever read. She immediately and without any hesitation said it was Redeeming Love. I had never read the book, but I wanted to read it if it had been recommended by my dear friend.
I was able to take a wonderful trip to Hobby Lobby several weeks ago, and there at the check out stands were lots of great Christian books and devotionals. Can I just digress and say how much I love Hobby Lobby? As I looked through those books, there was the book Redeeming Love sitting there front and center. I snatched up the book and put it in my cart.
I usually read Christian non-fiction or sometimes biographies, but I really just wanted to not have to be an intellectual the next time I read a book. I just wanted to get lost in a book, and this one sure delivered. I started reading the book that same day and COULD…NOT…PUT…IT…DOWN! I read the whole thing within the week.
The book is a fictional retelling of the story of Hosea and Gomer. If you have not read this story, it is in the book of Hosea in the Old Testament. A short recap of this story is that God tells Hosea, a prophet, to marry a woman who ends up prostituting herself with other men. The story is more complex than this, but it is a parallel God uses to show how Israel is not committed to Him anymore but how He still desires to redeem them due to His love for them.
The Redeeming Love story is set in the 1850s in the time of the California gold rush. Michael Hosea obeys God’s call to marry a woman named Angel who had been sold into a life of prostitution at a young age and to love her unconditionally. The writer does a great job making subjects and situations which could easily be rated X in our day and age to a G or PG rating. She gives you the idea of what has happened, but does it in a way which is not lewd, crude or too graphic. I was impressed with this aspect of the book.
At the end of this book, you will have an added depth of understanding of how forgiving, how loving, and how gracious is our God. You will know at a deeper level how many times we as sinners turn our back on God and how He is long suffering with us. You will have a better understanding of His redeeming love. It is truly a great love story.