Redeeming Love

Michael had been something new to him, too. He was one of those rare men who lived what he believed, not once in a while, but every hour of every day, even when the going wasn’t easy. As gentle a man as he was, as tender as was his heart, there was nothing weak about Michael Hosea. He was the strongest-minded man Joseph had ever met. A man like Noah. A man like the shepherd-king, David. A man after God’s own heart.

Michael closed his eyes. Lord, forgive me. You said go to her, and I let pride stand in my way. You said she needed me, and I didn’t believe. You said love her, and I thought it would be easy. Help me. Open my heart and mind so that I will love her as you have loved me.

He wanted to grab her and shake some sense into her.

Does she have any, Lord? Does she? God, haven’t I touched her at all? Have I worked her too hard? Or is she just bored with this quiet kind of life? Jesus, what do I do? Chain her like a dog?

He heard another voice, dark and powerful and as old as time.

When are you going to act like a man? Go ahead and take her. Why are you holding back? Take her. She belongs to you, doesn’t she? Act like a man. Enjoy her body if you can’t get anything else from her. What are you waiting for?

Michael wrestled with the voice in his head. He didn’t want to hear it at all, but it was there, pushing and pushing at him whenever he was most vulnerable.

Even when he was on his knees in prayer, he could hear it taunting him.

God, what do I do? I’m going crazy. You’re expecting too much of me. Or am I expecting too much from her?

The answer remained the same: Wait.

She looked at him every night as she took off her clothes. The question in her eyes made his mouth go dry, but he didn’t give in. He waited, praying for her heart to soften.

But he knew he was going to marry that girl anyway.

Angel was gone.

“You and God better not expect much,”

“God sent me.”
He was crazy. That was it. He was just plain crazy.