Bill is a successful businessman and a personal friend of mine. He loves to tell about the dramatic change in his life since he received Jesus as his Savior. Many people have been deeply impressed by Bill's testimony, but one man told me that he viewed it as "emotional and irrational." In fact, he implied that my sanity was open to question because I put so much stock in what Bill said.

This skeptic makes the same mistake that the Roman governor Festus made with Paul. Because Festus couldn't identify with the wonder of a life-changing encounter with Christ, he dismissed the apostle's testimony as irrational. Festus should have listened to Paul and admitted that the elements of mystery could very well be true. After all, Paul spoke with "truth and reason" (v.25), and his witness was verifiable--"this thing was not done in a corner" (v.26). As for Bill, his testimony is backed by 50 years of godly living.

God doesn't ask us to believe the absurd, but He does demand that we believe what He says in the Bible. Even when we don't fully comprehend God's ways, we can rely on the truth of His Word. And in His Word He promises to change our lives when we put our trust in Him. Don't confuse divine mystery with human madness.  — Herbert Vander Lugt