Knowing & Being Known

In the Garden of Gethsemane, hours before His arrest, Jesus prayed for the disciples: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). A little later, when questioned by Pilate, Jesus replied that He’d come into the world to testify to the truth. This prompted Pilate’s philosophical question that people today still ask: “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38). The meaning of the word corresponds to what actually is, not what we…

Before baseball’s 1906 World Series, sportswriter Hugh Fullerton made an astute prediction. He said the Chicago Cubs, who were expected to win, would lose the first and third games and win the second. Oh, and it would rain on the fourth. He was right on each point. Then, in 1919, his analytical skills told him certain players were losing World Series games intentionally. Fullerton suspected they’d been bribed by gamblers. Popular opinion ridiculed him. Again, he…

Dale Earnhardt Jr. describes the awful moment he understood his father was gone. Motor racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. had just been killed in a horrific crash at the end of the Daytona 500—a race in which Dale Jr. had also participated. “There’s this noise coming outta me that I can’t re-create,” said the younger Earnhardt. “[It’s] this bellow of shock and sorrow—and fear.” And then the lonely truth: “I’m…

Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.The deepest desire present in every human heart—the one thing we’re truly longing for— is to know God.You may not understand the longing within you to be a desire for God—in fact, you may simply feel dissatisfaction with your life. Maybe the relationship you wanted and attained isn’t everything you thought it would be. Perhaps you have everything you’ve ever wanted…

In Isaiah 55, God declares, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). In fact, that’s one of the biggest frustrations of the Christian life—a lack of understanding about God’s ways. There are times when we could really use a miracle, and He doesn’t come through for us, which can lead to confusion, disappointment, and anger. Why did God let me down? God works in both supernatural and ordinary ways, and…

In his book, “The Vision and The Vow”, Pete Greig tells of how a distinguished art critic was studying an exquisite painting by the Italian Renaissance master Filippino Lippi. He stood in London’s National Gallery gazing at the fifteenth-century depiction of Mary holding the infant Jesus on her lap, with saints Dominic and Jerome kneeling nearby. But the painting troubled him. There could be no doubting Lippi’s skill, his use of color or composition.…

When you listen to their stories, it becomes clear that perhaps the most difficult part of being a prisoner is isolation and loneliness. In fact, one study revealed that regardless of the length of their incarceration, most prisoners receive only two visits from friends or loved ones during their time behind bars. Loneliness is a constant reality. It’s a pain I imagine Joseph felt as he sat in prison, unjustly accused of a crime. There had been a glimmer of hope. God…

Robert Todd Lincoln lived under the extensive shadow of his father, beloved American president Abraham Lincoln. Long after his father’s death, Robert’s identity was engulfed by his father’s overwhelming presence. Lincoln’s close friend, Nicholas Murray Butler, wrote that Robert often said, “No one wanted me for secretary of war; they wanted Abraham Lincoln’s son. No one wanted me for minister to England; they wanted Abraham Lincoln&rsquo…

Colleen decided to take a stroll down the beach on our recent vacation to the Jersey Shore. Just a little quiet time for her to reflect on God’s goodness and enjoy the surf and the sun. I, on the other hand, slid out of my beach chair and casually headed to the gently breaking waves right in front of me. As I studied the ebb and flow of the current and tumbling tiny stones in the sand, I noticed something. But in a moment, it was gone. I asked the Lord, which I&rsquo…