A Gift Freely Given

Her Rebel Heart by Sharlene MacLaren is a marvellous Christian historical novel set in 1863 at the height of the American Civil War.

The novel is about the faithfulness of God. He is there in the good and the bad times. “You’ve got the hand of God on you, protecting you.” Even when we do not know God, He is there, knowing, loving and protecting us.

Within the book we witness the birth of a new Christian. It is beautiful to watch as a character opens her heart to God. “Why should God – if He existed – pay her any mind? She had nothing to offer Him in return.” The free gift of grace is sometimes something people cannot comprehend in a world where everything costs something. We need to come to God just as we are and He will transform us from the inside out.

In building a relationship with God, we need to talk to Him in prayer, read our Bibles and meet with other Christians at church. A new Christian has awe, wonder and excitement at all these things. May we never become stale and lose our passion for God. Each time we read our Bibles, it is a fresh word from God. We may read familiar passages over and over but God will bring new insight just when we need it.