Sons of Encouragement Series by Francine Rivers

I began reading this series in October. My husband bought me the last book in the series *Silas~ The Scribe* first for my birthday present. I could not put it down. I loved reading about Silas, Peter, Paul and being able to almost feel what it would have been like to walk in their shoes, to live under such persecution and to have such a strong devout love for our dear Lord. I was hooked and immediately went to our local bible book store where I found another volume to the series and then ordered the other three.

I read *Aaron~The Priest* next and tonight finished *Caleb~The Warrior*. I feel as though I have seen our Lord through new eyes. I see how jealous our Lord really is and how much He desires our obedience. Obedience before all other things, immediate obedience, a love so strong and consuming for Him that we do not even consider anything other than obedience. I learned how far I have to go on my journey and in my relationship with Him. I realized that I thought I was so close to Him but I am no where near as close as I had thought I was. I learned that a lot of my relationship with my Abba Father was about me. How little I sought to truly know Him better. The Lord opened my eyes and my heart and enabled me to see how I sometimes grieve Him, how often His children hurt Him, how He desires to be amoungst His people and He comes and cries, "Where are my children?!! "

Tonight He bore into my heart this message: "How long will these people reject me? Will they never believe Me, even after all of the miraculous signs I have done amoung them?" Numbers 14:11

Oh how it grieves my heart to think of people who reject the Almighty God, our Holy Father and refuse to see His love and sacrifice for us.

"Dear Brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind He will accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is." Romans 12:1-2

I pray for the lost, those who do not know of our Lord and those who hear and know but reject Him. Those who serve their own gods, their own desires. I pray that our Lord soften their hearts, remove the binders from their eyes and ears that they may receive our Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and that they may swell with a love than runs so deep that it grows and grows and grows, that their faith daily multiplies and strengthens and the Lord Almighty use them for His will and glory.