Harvest of Gold (45 page)
Harvest of Gold
is a love story. But at its core, it is also a novel about overcoming in the midst of battle. Jerusalem is under attack. The king’s life is threatened. Darius and Sarah’s marriage is slowly unraveling. How do you respond to the interior and exterior forces that threaten to destroy you?
Harvest of Gold
tries to answer that question based on the timeless principles we find in the book of Nehemiah.
As always, the best way to study the Bible is not through a novel, but simply to read the original. This story can in no way replace the transformative power that the reader will encounter in the Scriptures. For the biblical account of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, please refer to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
I hope you have enjoyed Sarah and Darius’s adventures, which began with
Harvest of Rubies
. After so many years of working with them, they feel like old friends to me.
Harvest of Gold
To access a printable pdf of these discussion questions, go to
www.moodypublishers.com/978-0-8024-0559-3
. Click the “Resources” tab to download the questions.
1. In the first two chapters of the novel, we glimpse certain strengths in Sarah and Darius’s relationship. But we also become aware that this marriage is already in trouble. Identify some of the strengths and weaknesses you see in Sarah and Darius’s relationship.
2. Most of the characters in
Harvest of Gold
seem to be engaged in a battle. The king is battling to save his life. The Babylonian brothers are trying to preserve their freedom. Nehemiah is striving to save Jerusalem. Sarah and Darius are desperate to keep their marriage intact. Where are the places you see a battle in your life?
3. What do you see in your life that is worth fighting for? What have you given up on?
4. What are some of the lessons we can learn from Nehemiah to help us overcome in the midst of the battles of life?
5. In
Chapter 12
Sarah has a miscarriage and Nehemiah prays for her. How can
you
help and comfort others as they grieve? How do you personally cope with loss?
6. In
Chapter 24
, Nehemiah talks about Gideon. Are there places in your life where you are hiding in a metaphorical winepress? What are you afraid of? (For example, failure, disappointment, suffering, ending up alone …)
7. Gideon’s perception of himself differed from the way God saw him. Do you think you are like Gideon in that respect? How do you think God sees you? In contrast, how do you see yourself?
8. Describe Darius. How do you think Darius’s emotional distance affects his marriage? Can you relate?
9. What prevents Darius from placing his trust in the Lord? In the end, what causes him to change?
10. We sometimes build walls around our hearts that need to come down: walls of fear, defensiveness, pride, emotional distance. But there are also godly defensive walls that we should establish around our lives: walls that protect our relationship with God and with others, walls that safeguard our destiny and our soul. But like Jerusalem, many of us have allowed these walls to fall into ruin. Talk about areas of your life where the wrong walls have to come down, and areas where new protective structures have to be raised up.
11. Nehemiah has a special role in Sarah and Darius’s lives. In your own words, describe their relationship. Do you have a Nehemiah in your life? Are you a Nehemiah in someone else’s life?
12. What caused Nehemiah to overcome all the odds against him?
13. Who is your favorite character in this book? Why?
14. Which character can you identify with the most? Why?
15. What are some of the scenes in this story that touched your heart? Why?
The gracious expertise and help of many people made this novel possible. I would like to thank my agent, Wendy Lawton, whose efforts on my behalf continue to pave the way for me as a writer. I was blessed the day we met. To Deb Keiser at River North, whose support of this project has remained unstinting from its conception, and Pam Pugh my editor: simply, thank you.
Thanks to my dearest friend, Rebecca Rhee who, in spite of being very pregnant with her first baby, applied her inveterate knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and love of literature to
Harvest of Gold
and made it a far better book with her insights. I don’t know how many hours I have spent boring her with my fears and plotline problems in this book. But she has always been there to hold my hand. I am profoundly grateful for my friends Beth and Rob Bull who never cease to encourage and support me along this path. Thanks for believing in me, guys! It’s the best gift you could give me. As always, my sister Emi Trowbridge’s undeserved faith in me sustains me every day.
Special acknowledgment is due to Tegan Willard for her astute suggestions and incredible editing. My faithful and encouraging critique partners, Cindy McDowell and Lauren Yarger, occupy a special place in the completion of this book. Cindy’s suggestion to use a poor couple as Darius’s inspiration for change added a new dimension to the story. Deryk and Christy Richenburg provided unstinting support and incredibly helpful hints on male psychology. I deeply appreciate their constant grace. Others worthy of mention include author Karl A. Bacon for his editorial suggestions.
Professor Glenn Sunshine, a genius in matters of history and most things theological, turned out to be a wealth of information on Chinese martial arts. The brilliant Rabbi Paul Saul spent a whole afternoon trying to explain the book of Nehemiah from a Jewish perspective. I am grateful for the Reverend Halvor Ronning’s suggestions regarding Nehemiah’s wall. Any deviations or mistakes in the manuscript are due to my error and not the fault of these eminent scholars.
A book’s life is complicated and there are many who are essential in the process. My profound thanks to Michele Forrider, Jeane Wynne, and Janis Backing for helping to release my novels into many hands. A special note of appreciation is due to the sales force, who manage to land these books in the most astonishing locations. You folks are amazing.
And to my fans, who write Facebook messages, emails, and best of all read my books, you are a true joy to me—my beloved companions on this adventure.
River North Fiction is here to provide quality fiction that will refresh and encourage you in your daily walk with God. We want to help readers know, love, and serve JESUS through the power of story.
Connect with us at
www.rivernorthfiction.com
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