Even When

ByDani Pettrey
24 Comments


Hi friends,

So happy to be back with you this week. Today I’m continuing my series on The Power of Christian Fiction. You can read the previous posts here:

Today’s focus is on how God never stops loving us even when we turn our back on Him or when we think our way is better. His plans for us are always better even if we don’t understand this side of Heaven.

We see this truth in the parable of the Lost Sheep, which is found in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 18:12–14) and Luke (Luke 15:3–7). It is about a shepherd who leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep in order to find the one which is lost.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”

God doesn’t want any of his children to perish.

This truth is explored in my character Reef McKenna from my Alaskan Courage series. After losing is mom, who he was extremely close with, at a young age, he turns his back on God. He decides to purse his own desires, his own will. He believes his extreme sports lifestyle, where he constantly feeling a rush and pushes boundaries, would make him feel alive and show God that he didn’t need him.

Much like the prodigal son who wanted to go his own way and, only when the bottom fell out did he come back home, Reef is faced with dire circumstances and he wrestles with whether he’s going to continue to go his own way or if he really needs God. I won’t tell you anymore. You’ll need to read the book to find out—his story starts in book one of my Alaskan Courage series (Submerged) and concludes in book five (Sabotaged).  It takes Reef a long time and a rough journey to soften his heart. He finally is able what God is doing in his life and comes to trust Him in all circumstances—even when he doesn’t fully understand.

And, just like the prodigal son returned to his Father and his father was overjoyed to take him back, our Father is overjoyed when one lost sheep returns home. Thankfully, God pursues us even when we go astray and welcomes us back with loving arms when we return to Him. He’s such a good, good Father.

Question for you:

What is your favorite Bible verse about God’s constant love for us?

I look forward to your answers!

Have a blessed day!  

Dani

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Praised by New York Times best-selling author Dee Henderson as "a name to look for in romantic suspense," Dani Pettrey has sold more than half a million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance.

24 Comments

  1. My favorite is Jeremiah 31:3 – The Lord appeared to us in the past,saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Everlasting. Love. That just makes my heart smile :-).

    2. Romans 5:8 KJV — But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

  2. My favorite: Romans 8:35-39 (versus 38 and 39 especially) “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

  3. Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee…
    and
    Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

  4. Zephaniah 3:17……
    The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save: He will rejoice over you with gladness: He will quiet you by His love: He will exult over you with loud singing.

    1. What an amazing summary of God and His love and protection of us in just a verse or two. Lovely. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Psalm 73:26
    My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my of my heart and my portion forever.

  7. The McKennas are my favorite series. Recently I had to revisit them 😃 and wondered how they have been after the end of “sabotaged”? 😉
    My favorite bible verse is Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed”, says the the Lord.
    Have a great day, Dani.

    1. Hi Coco,

      Awww. Thanks so much. So sweet of you to let me know. I often think of the McKennas and what they are up to now. I sure wouldn’t mind revisiting them in a story one day 🙂

  8. I love Christian fiction. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 45:2, ‘He will go before you and level the mountains.’ Another is Psalm 27:5 which tells me how when trouble comes, He will place me out of reach on a rock. I have lots of favorites!
    I can’t tell you how many times CF has truly ministered to me in the midst of a trial. I think, how awesome this is that the very same God who spoke this world into existence would know that on this day I would be going through this and then allowed this author to write the words that would minister to my spirit. It’s amazing.

    1. It is amazing, Susan! Love how God does that. The Creator of the Universe knowing just when we’ll need a certain word. A certain interaction. We are so blessed.

  9. Lamentations 3:22-23. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!

  10. Romans 8: 38&39. Nothing is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ our Lord!

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