I have read just about every book she's ever written. And I.love.them.
Fiction is a topic of minor controversy amongst friends and myself. In the light of studying Scripture and serving in our God-given ministries (whether at the House of Prayer, in the marketplace, or at home) one can only spend their remainding energies on very little and fiction just doesn't feed the spirit like non-fiction does.
Well, Francine Rivers' fiction absolutely feeds my spirit. And here's why...
Francine Rivers is a Spirit-filled believer who asks the Holy Spirit what He desires to say before she sits down to write a novel. As you read the pages of her books, it is filled with Scripture references and godly characters. At the end of the day, she gets real.
I just finished re-reading her "Mark of the Lion" series and I have to admit, it stirred me.
The trilogy follows a wealthy Roman family, a small Jewess who believes Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, and a captured German warrior. It is set around 40 years after the ressurection of Christ, and persecution is at every corner. As I sat and read of this Christian young lady (because, she was after all but a teen at the start of the book) I saw myself imprinted all over Hadassah.
She was a young girl who loved the Lord, but struggled with fear.
Fear has always been my Goliath. Hadassah struggled with fear. All the while she witnesses incognito, fear consumes her for her very life. And then I got to thinking...
Persecution like that could very well be on the way for American Christians. How will I react in the dawn of that day? Will fear consume and paralyze me? Or will I rise up boldly and forget the word fear is even in our vocabulary?
Sitting and pondering about this, I realize that fear has gripped the American Church in a very subtle and yet so obvious way. We fear failure, we fear poverty, we fear heartache and pain. "Perfect love casts out all fear." Being yoked with perfect love causes fear to run from within our grasp.
I desire to be yoked ever closer to this Perfect Love.
And I believe the American Church needs a good reminding of who Love is. The fullness of who He is...
So, then from a fiction novel that some would cast off as wasted time and wasted paper, I have come face to face with my Goliath. The beauty is, I turn and see my David has already loaded his sling and has won the battle.
I just read that series last year & absolutely loved it! I was surprised at the depth and reality of the characters and historical settings. Even the horrific parts. It does make you want to have that strength, perseverance, and depth of relationship with God.
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