Unashamed

Right now I'm reading Unashamed by Francine Rivers...her telling of the story of Rahab. These are some of the passages that have really stood out to me.

"What a strange & marvelous God He was! He had chosen the Hebrews - a nation of slaves - & set them free from Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth. He had taken the lowest of the low & used them to bring down the mighty. She'd heard that He'd even rained bread upon His people. They had nothing to fear, for He was mighty in deeds & yet showed kindness & mercy to them. Who would not love such a God?"

"The danger was in looking too far ahead. He must wait, as Joshua was waiting. The Lord would speak when He was ready, & when God did speak, Salmon knew the choice would be presented to him: obey or disobey...Better to fear God than men. No matter how frightened he might be of the battle ahead, he knew it was a more fearful thing to displease the Lord. Therefore, he set his mind on obedience. He wouldn't allow himself to give in to his human weaknesses, his fears. How could one fear men & please God?"

"Do you think the Lord has brought us this far to let us be defeated?"

"Her eyes filled with tears, for her heart ached deeply to be counted among the chosen people of this God."

"Oh, Lord, my God, You are bringing us home to a land You have prepared for us. You have laid out this gift before us. Give us the courage to take it."

"Out there in the darkness, across the Jordan inside the wall of a pagan city was a women of contemptible reputation who'd never seen a miracle, tasted a bite of manna, or heard a single word of the Law. And yet her faith was strong enough that she had greeted, welcomed, & protected those who were coming to destroy her & her people."

"The will of God is ever in my mind...One thing has always been clear to me. It was not because we had merit or deserved freedom that the Lord delivered us from Egypt. The Lord saved us out of His great mercy...Would the Lord not extend His mercy to anyone who years to belong to Him? I saw this yearning in Rahab. I heard it in her voice. She believes the Lord is God...Could it not be that God has aligned the desire of my heart with His good purpose toward this woman?"

"Soon the manna would disappear altogether, for the people would have no need of it when they entered Canaan, a land of milk & honey...Yet Salmon couldn't help but feel a deepening sadness. He'd never known anything but the taste of manna. The first time he had tasted anything else was the day he & Ephraim had camped alongside the stream in Canaan, where they'd caught & roasted fish. Though the meal had been delicious, it couldn't compare with what God had given them & what God would soon take away. Salmon held the bread of heaven reverently. All his life he had taken it for granted; now he realized how precious it was. As he ate it, tears came, for he knew this bread had come from the very hand of God, a free gift keeping him alive. Could there ever be anything as sweet? Could anything else be as nourishing?"