His Word Wednesday

There are two books in my library that are almost as worn as the most worn out Bible I own.  I turn to them over and over again.  In fact, it's probably time to read them again.  There are 2 books, outside of the Bible, that I think anyone who did not grow up in church should read.  One of them should be read by everyone.


Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is the book I recommend for anyone who did not grow up in church.  Outside of the Bible, if you want to know whether or not God loves you in spite of where you have been and what you have done this book is a wonderful, fictional, depiction of His deep and abiding love for each of us!  When I first accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord of my life I, seemingly, was surrounded by folks who had been in church their whole lives and had definitely NOT lived a life similar to mine.  They couldn't articulate who a Holy, Almighty, sinless God could love someone like me.  Francine Rivers tackled that task with grace and ended up writing one of my all time favorite books.  Redeeming Love is based on Hosea an Old Testament book in the Bible where a man of God marries a prostitute.  One of the many lessons we are to learn from Hosea is that God never gives up on us.  No matter how many times we turn our back on Him and His love, He continues to be steadfast in His love for us.

I have read many more books written by Francine Rivers and they are all very well done but my favorite will always be Redeeming Love.  When you read the book this statement will make sense: I am Angel and pray that one day I will be Sarah!

The other book that has has a major impact on my life is No Wonder They Call Him The Savior by Max Lucado.  This is another book I read early on in my Christian walk.  Max Lucado is one of those authors who can take a complex thought/idea and turn it into "plain English" so I can understand it.  He is a colorful author and by that I mean he paints word pictures so that someone like me can visualize exactly what he is saying.  My copy of No Wonder They Call Him The Savior is underlined, corners of pages are turned down, there are tears on many of the pages...in a word, it is lovingly used!  This book is not comforting but it is encouraging.  The way Mr. Lucado describes the anguish between Father and Son when for the first time, ever, they were separated...I am still in awe.  When I need to be reminded of what Jesus went through in order to pay the price for my mistakes/sins, besides the Bible, this is the book I turn to.  When I want to be reminded that I am loved beyond measure, besides the Bible, this is the book I re-read.

I have read many books by Max Lucado and they have all been excellent however No Wonder They Call Him The Savior is my favorite and one I highly recommend.

I am not recommending that you read these books in lieu of your Bible.  In fact, if you aren't reading your Bible then I encourage you to do that first BEFORE reading these books because both authors reference the Bible.  If you don't know what your Bible says then these books may not make complete sense until you go back and...READ YOUR BIBLE!  :-)  If you want to read Redeeming Love then read Hosea, the Old Testament prophet first.  If you wish to read No Wonder They Call Him The Savior then read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (New Testament).  The books do stand alone but knowing where the authors got their inspiration from will make reading them much more relevant and enjoyable.

What is God saying to you?  What is your favorite book in the Bible?  Do you have a favorite Christian author or book?

Standing on His promises, Mrs. Bubba