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As she reflects on what has happened in her life, Madeleine realizes she has “left behind her Christian morality.” She admits that when she made love toTonato she ignored God. (p. 163)Yet her feelings are torn.  Since her experience at the Great Falling Waters she is now in touch with her spiritual hunger for the Almighty.  She recalls how close to God she had felt when she was studying under the Reverend Mother Marie. She believes God saved her life during the raging storm. She wants to know God better. But she feels some kind of a wall between God and herself.But some days she wonders which is more pleasurable: a relationship with God or a relationship with a good man? Then Madeleine is punched in her emotional gut because the two men that she loves walk out on her. Tonato leaves her to return to his people without any explanation. Robert sails for the King’s court in France to raise money for his explorations.In the midst of her anguish, Madeleine asks,“Is God punishing me for my ‘unblessed lovemaking?’”  It must be, she figures.  It hurt so much.  In the novel, I leave her question unanswered.Now I ask you: Would God punishing her for the sin of having sex outside of marriage? Was the men’s abandonment of her a punishment from God? In truth, God’s Word says,  “There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”  (Rom. 8:1).  So, I don’t believe God is punishing Madeleine for the sin of fornication. BUT, when one operates outside of God’s ideal will,  unpleasant consequences happen because of those choices.When we make poor choices, God wants to fix the problem. In John 15, Jesus describes his Heavenly Father as being the Gardener.  God cuts off the dead wood on the vine and burns it. God prunes back the live branches on the vine so they will bear more fruit. To me, this process of pruning has felt like punishment.  When I am hurt either physically or emotionally, or something “bad” happens, I wonder about God’s role.  Could he be punishing me? Has he forgotten about me?To be punished means you must pay a penalty for the wrong you committed. But our Heavenly Father doesn’t punish us. Instead God has asked Jesus to take the punishment FOR us. All we need to do is accept the Lord’s sacrificial death as an act of grace.  Because Jesus was crucified, we are NOT TO DO anything. We are simply TO BELIEVE.  We are to believe that Jesus substituted Himself on the rugged cross for our punishment.  This is what is meant by God loving me so much that he sent Jesus, his Son, to die on the cross in my place.The fact of Jesus's sacrifice is why there is NO CONDEMNATION for those of us who accept Jesus’s death as the penalty for our sins.

Author Tidbit

I just got back from an Arts and Crafts Fair, and found myself talking with a lady who asked me similar questions:  Where is God when bad things happen?  How can I say God loves us, when there is abuse, and disease, and wars, and death in this world?

I responded by reminding her that God, when He showed us His love, had to give us free will.  A love relationship cannot be forced.  But once we got the gift of free will, some of us still chose Self over God, or Flesh over Spirit, or pleasure over obedience.  Until  people turn 180 degrees from their selfish decisions, they will not experience the abundant, joyful, and peaceful life God intends for us.  

Up Next: Wednesday's blog post on Chapter 17!

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