Review: Knowing God, Knowing Myself

I’ve written before about NY Times bestselling author Cecil Murphey, and I was thrilled when he recently sent me a complimentary copy of one of his latest books, Knowing God, Knowing Myself. It’s my pleasure today to share my review of the book and recommend it to you. Hope you enjoy!

Book Review: Knowing God, Knowing Myself by Cecil Murphey

“For most of my adult life, I’ve yearned to experience an intimacy with God. That search began in my early twenties when, as an agnostic, I underwent a profound spiritual awakening. In the process of discovering God, I also learned about myself… Several years later, I realized that knowing God and knowing myself went together. We need both…to progress,” says Cecil Murphey in the introduction to one of his latest books, Knowing God, Knowing Myself.

From his lifelong pursuit of deeper intimacy with God and his desire to understand himself and allow inner healing where needed come the wisdom and sometimes startling insights shared in this book—a book where Cec states, “More than anything I’ve written before, I’m giving myself as fully as I know how and putting my heart on this page.”

And he delivers. The honesty with which he shares the private thoughts and deep parts of himself that most of us prefer not to divulge or even think about more closely gives readers a window into their own souls and grants us courage to deal with similar issues in our individual lives.

Knowing God, Knowing Myself is comprised of sixty-eight short reflections, each one touching on a topic that most everyone can relate to on some level. Cec concludes each reflection with a short, pithy saying—an aphorism—that sums up the essence of that particular chapter. I especially appreciate the Aphorisms feature at the end of the book where all these nuggets of wisdom are compiled into one helpful list. I read the book in a period of days, but it could easily be used like a devotional book, digesting each selection more slowly. In fact, I plan to do that at some point in the future.

Cec has lived a long life of varied experience and is able to bring much to the topics of intimacy with God and self discovery. Not only is he an award-winning writer or co-writer of over 120 books, including the best-selling 90 Minutes in Heaven with Don Piper and Gifted Hands with Dr. Ben Carson, Cec is also an international speaker and teacher, speaking on topics like writing, spiritual growth, caregiving, male sexual abuse, recovery and more. Before becoming a full-time writer and speaker, Cec served as a pastor and a hospital chaplain and was also a missionary to Kenya for six years.

Knowing God, Knowing Myself is a gift from Cec that I am happy to recommend. To find out more about Cec, visit his website.

*Have any of you read Knowing God, Knowing Myself yet? What did you think?

*Look at the other titles in the stack of books in the picture above. Each one is a great read (This Fine Life by Eva Marie Everson, Daisy Chain by Mary Demuth, and Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent). Has anyone read any of those? What did you think?

Comments

  1. Knowing God, Knowing Myself is now in my Amazon shopping cart. In addition, the other 3 books in your stack are being reserved for me at my local library. Thank you, Cheryl! I don’t read much fiction and usually find Christian fiction to be cliched, shallow and just dumb. So, your recommendations are highly appreciated!

  2. Jana, I’m so excited that you will be reading the books I suggested! Each one is quite different from the other so it will be a nice variety.

    I think This Fine Life could turn into a series like The Mitford Series if the publisher and author decided to go that way, and Daisy Chain is more of a suspense. Same Kind of Different is a true story and easily the best book I read last year. It blew me away. And of course, you already what I had to say about Knowing God, Knowing You. You’ve got lots of good reading in front of you! :)

  3. Thanks for the further explanation, Cheryl! I am looking forward particularly to Same Kind of Different. And 2 of the best books I read in the last few months are “The Unlikely Disciple” by Kevin Roose and “Mennonite In A Little Black Dress” by Rhoda Janzen. Both are non-fiction, although Rhoda exaggerated and fictionalized a little bit (a side-splitter!)

  4. You know I’m all about knowing God. This sounds wonderful, and considering I’ve just applied for one of his scholarships, perhaps I ought to know his heart better. This sounds just like the devotionals I like to read! I’d love to sit across the table from him and hear his heart.

    Prayers for your friend. Keep me posted, please.

    peace~elaine

  5. Don Piper came to speak at our church last summer about 90 Minutes in Heaven. Amazing!

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