God Redeems the Former Things: A True Story from Author Francine Rivers

Last updated on: October 5, 2020 at 8:30 am by Randy Alcorn

God Redeems the Former Things: A True Story from Author Francine Rivers 2020-09-23T15:55:46-08:00 Randy Alcorn

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Many Christian fiction readers are familiar with Francine Rivers. Her books are exceptionally powerful, well-written, and always Christ-honoring. Redeeming Love is probably her best known, but my own favorite is The Atonement Child. In my opinion, she is one of the finest writers of Christian fiction in the world.

Francine (who her friends know as Frani) and her husband Rick are committed followers of Jesus, and a delight. (Nanci and I stayed in their home some years ago.) When I was working on my book Giving Is the Good Life, I asked Frani to share about Redeeming Love, which she wrote more than twenty-five years ago. She is a humble person and not one to seek attention or make public statements. But with her permission, I’m sharing this encouraging and beautiful story:

Redeeming Love was the first book I wrote as a Christian. I’d been reared in the church, and had head-knowledge, but I didn’t make the decision to turn my will and my life over to Jesus until 1986 when I was in my late 30s.

A wilderness experience quickly followed. Up until then, I had a successful career in the general market writing steamy historical romances, but after becoming a Christian, I couldn’t write anything. It was a monumental struggle for me because writing was the one area of my life where I thought I had “control.” It took three years for me to receive the lesson God was teaching me: writing had become an idol. My relationship with Jesus became the most important thing in my life. Writing didn’t matter anymore.

Rick and I were hosting a home study when God started nudging me about writing again. We were studying the minor prophets, specifically the book of Hosea. I felt all the inner walls coming down and sensed God telling me, “This is the love story I want you to write. MY story.” Redeeming Love was the result.

…The Lord has blessed this book over the years. It is used in numerous ministries that work with women in crisis, survivors of sex trafficking, outreaches to prostitutes, and even in marriage counseling ministries.

At the same time we were hosting the home group, I was doing other studies on the Christian life. Larry Burkett’s Debt-Free Living changed my way of thinking about money. Every gift is from above. Those gifts don’t belong to me. I’m to be a proper steward. Rick and I discussed it and realized early on that Redeeming Love was my first fruits as a Christian writer. Hence, whatever royalties came from the book belonged to the Lord, not to us.

We set aside the share Uncle Sam required, but the rest went to the Lord’s work. It was an act of obedience in the beginning, but very quickly became a joyful offering. We tithe from everything we receive, but Redeeming Love was set aside entirely for God. Rick and I both believe that God gives so that we may give. He gives us the heart to do so and the joy in the giving as well. (We’ve kept this quiet for many years, only telling a few and under specific circumstances—when we felt it would service a purpose or encourage someone.)

…The main point: We try to steer the money to ministries that reach women (and men) like Angel (the primary character of Redeeming Love)—wounded, lost, in desperate need of a Savior and Lord.

…The book has been a bestseller in several foreign countries and continues to sell overseas as well as in the U.S. What I delight in most: it has been translated into Chinese, Russian, and Arabic. The latter makes me smile. A missionary friend said he saw it in a home in Siberia! God can use anything, even a fictional story, to reach into the hearts of His children—no matter where they are. It is amazing that He allows us to be a part of His great work.

…What’s the old saying? You can’t out give God! Oh, how true that is.

Randy again: More than one million copies of Redeeming Love have been sold (in fact, just this month it was number two on the Christian fiction bestsellers list!). Not only have many people benefited from reading Francine’s book, but untold numbers have also been helped through its royalties.

This story of Redeeming Love’s impact is one that only God could write! It reminds me that shortly after we committed 100% of the royalties of my books to be given to Christian ministries, several of them started appearing on the bestsellers’ list. That’s not a formula, and it’s not that God always does it that way. But as Francine and I have experienced first-hand, countless others in a wide variety of vocations have discovered that when they dedicate their profits to God, He often blesses them materially. The more they give back to the Lord the more He blesses them. If that’s been your own story, please share it with me and others on my Facebook page.

Previous Post

October 1, 2020

Being Black Sometimes Means I’m Treated Differently: A Discussion on Race Between Two Friends

Next Post

October 8, 2020 Make God’s Unshakeable Eternal Kingdom Your Source of Security, Focus, and Peace

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category About Me Animals Books Books and Resources Christ Christian Life Christians Past and Present Church Creation Culture and Worldview Doctrine and Theology Eternal Perspective Ministries Fun Grace and Truth Grief Happiness Heaven Marriage and Family Missions Money and Giving Persecuted Church Politics Prayer Prolife Salvation Sexual Purity Sovereignty and Free Will Suffering and Evil Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz