You Will Always Be with Me

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

October 31, 2025

You Will Always Be with Me

When everything is ready, I will come and get you,

so that you will always be with me where I am.

John 14:3 

I am writing this meditation just a few days after receiving the news that a friend is now with Christ. Currently, Cheryl and I have twenty-four names we bring before the Lord in our daily prayers. At least eight of them may be with Jesus any day. This reality makes Jesus’ promise, quoted above, so comforting to me. And the meditations of the last two days can so ground us in our faith that when Jesus comes for us, we will have no fear as our faith becomes sight.

This promise of Jesus is the tipping point of my response to all the claims he has made on my life. My willingness to entrust my life to God, so that He can use everything in my life for His purpose of transforming me to become like Jesus, rests on this promise of Jesus. My willingness to be an ambassador for Christ and to exchange my human point of view for God’s world view, rests on this promise of Jesus. Because I choose to believe God is love, and that God the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, is very fond of me, I know there will be no fear or apprehension in me when Jesus comes for me.

My Takeaway: The first three of Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits implore us to be proactive, beginning with our end in mind, and not to allow the urgent to overshadow the important. My end that I always keep in mind, is that I will always be with Jesus. This ‘end’ allows me to determine when and how to be proactive and how to identify the important priorities in my life. This helps in my being trained in righteousness, the fruit of which is no fear in meeting my Savior face to face.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

God Is Love

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today

 October 30, 2025

God Is Love

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

1 John 4:16 

Our question from yesterday’s meditation returns today: How different would our life be if we actually believed God is love? I believe this is an essential question that will help us build a firm foundation for our life in Christ. If we believe God is love, can we see how this will help us understand every aspect of our life. Brennan Mannings helps us here. Remember yesterday Manning asked, “Do you honestly believe that God likes you?" He goes on to assert, “If you could answer, "The Father is very fond of me," there would come a relaxedness, a serenity and a compassionate attitude toward yourself that is a reflection of God’s own tenderness.” (I think I first read this story in Manning’s book, Ruthless Trust)

Can you see how true belief changes our lives? As we come to grasp God’s complete love and care for us, our lives relax, and we now have a serene and compassionate attitude toward ourselves that reflects God’s own tenderness for us. Our new, Christ like, attitude invites us to reflect on the verse quoted above. What does it mean, in my life, that God is love? It can only mean that ALL that God is, is love. EVERY decision God makes, is rooted in His love. EVERY thought God has for me, and you, are completely grounded in love. In God there is no evil, nor bitterness, no cruelty. Just love. Pure, vast, passionate love.

My Takeaway: Our life in Christ is training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) Our training is made effective when we are grounded in the truth, God is LOVE.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God’s Plans

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

October 29, 2025

God’s Plans

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.

“They are plans for good and not for disaster, 

to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Brennan Manning told a delightful story about a man taking an early morning walk with his uncle. The man noticed a smile on his uncle’s face and observed, “You look very happy.” “I am.” His uncle replied. “Why?” “Because the Father of our Lord Jesus is very fond of me.” Manning next asked his readers, “If the question were put to you, "Do you honestly believe that God likes you?" -- not loves you because theologically he must, but does He like you -- how would you answer?”

Manning’s question is like that of the spiritual director who asserts, “God loves you! How different would your life be if you actually believed that?” The truth is many of us live as functional atheists. Yes, we say we believe in God, and we even believe God loves us. But we live as though our entire life depends on our work, our efforts to secure love, acceptance and a good sense of self-worth. To this dilemma Jeremiah would add a word.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Now, the question returns: How different would our life be if we actually believed Jeremiah?

My Takeaway: I believe Jeremiah’s promise. And I believe the Apostle Paul’s take on Jeremiah’s promise: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28) Choosing to so believe keeps me grounded in God’s grace for today.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Your World View

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

October 28, 2025

Your World View

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!

2 Corinthians 5:16 

From verse 16, to the end of chapter 5, is a very concise summary of the Good News, the Gospel, of Christ. After learning to see things from God’s point of view, God’s world view, we realize we who belong to Christ are a new creation. This new life in Christ is a gift from God, and with our new life in Christ we are given a mission from God. We are ambassadors for Christ; telling others that Christ, who was without sin, sacrificed his life for them so that they too could be made right with God and thus become a new creation in Christ.

I find these six verses very helpful in my desire to remain in God’s grace for today, and every day. Taken together the six verses provide the context for verse 16, which for me is a foundation stone for staying in God’s grace for today: stop evaluating others from my human point of view. That’s it. My world view is firmly established when I adopt God’s world view and stop evaluating others from my human point of view. My desire is to see others from God’s point of view. God sees all people, all people everywhere, as a person for whom Christ died and rose again!

Can life be this simple? Yes, because this is how God sees our world. As I sit before these verses, I am very much aware of how diametrically opposed is God’s world view from the human point of view in our world today. What are we going to do?

My Takeaway: The Wednesday evening Bible study I attend is spending a year on the Book of Isaiah. Last week we looked at Isaiah 6:8, “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the Apostle Paul commissioned me as an ambassador for Christ. The only question is whether I, like Isaiah, will respond, “Here I am, Send me.”

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

God’s Faithfulness

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

October 27, 2025

God’s Faithfulness

And my God will meet all your needs

according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) 

The verse above is a succinct summary of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Throughout this letter, Paul assures us that God has been working and will continue to work in our lives. Throughout this letter, he extols the virtues of God and sets our knowing Christ as our highest and most glorious ambition. He crowns this magnificent letter with the promise that God will meet our every need because God has an eternal supply of riches within the glory that is Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Paul also makes clear in this letter that God’s desire to come to us, to meet our needs, does not rest on the prerequisite of our faithfulness. God is faithful to us even when we are unfaithful because our relationship to Him is forever sealed through the faithfulness of Jesus. Do you remember our password to enter the Kingdom of God? We get in because Jesus said we may come.

The miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand is recorded in all four Gospels. Why did each author believe this miracle needed to be included in their record of Jesus’ life and ministry? Perhaps to illustrate the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:26, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Yes, Jesus is the Lord of the impossible.

My Takeaway: There are situations in my circle of friends and family that desperately need miracles. I want to trust that God who sees what I cannot, who understands what I do not, is moving in those circumstances out of the abundance of riches and glory in Jesus. My lack of faith wants to equivocate, to focus on what seems, humanly speaking, impossible. Rather, I want to focus instead on God, for whom everything is possible.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

They Know What Heaven Holds

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

October 24, 2025

They Know What Heaven Holds

In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels

when even one sinner repents.”

Luke 15:10 

Luke 15 gives us four examples of God’s saving grace and is a magnificent declaration of God’s desire that everyone be saved. (1 Timothy 2:4) Jesus’ words, quoted above, imply that God’s angels know something that we do not. Maybe it is more that their appreciation of life in Christ is so much deeper than ours. We are surrounded by the reality that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The angels are surrounded by a different reality.

Where the angels are, and where we, the followers of Jesus, are destined to be, is literally another world. God’s angels’ dwell where arguments have ceased, jealousy does not exist, where there are no secrets, and where sin no longer exists. All fear and insecurity have been left behind. Love is pure and holy. The angels are where God’s will is fulfilled completely. There is joy in the presence of God’s angels because the angels know what is in store for God’s children who have been redeemed by the love of Jesus. They know what heaven holds.

My Takeaway: Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person, because the old life is gone, and a new life has begun, thus we can begin living with the joy of God’s angels today. This joy will keep us grounded in God’s grace for today. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

You Don’t Love Me

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

October 23, 2025

You Don’t Love Me

“But I have this complaint against you.

You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

Revelation 2:4

The verses quoted below, when the Apostle Paul met with the disciples from Ephesus, are a compelling vision of the Godly love for one another that Jesus prayed for the church in John 17.

“When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship”. (Acts 20:36-38)

However, the love so deeply held among the disciples in Ephesus was almost totally lost. Revelation 2:4, quoted above, is when the church in Ephesus is next mentioned in the Bible. Here Jesus rebukes them, “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.” (Revelation 2:5) The situation in Ephesus reminds me of the fable, "The frog in the kettle.” The analogy illustrates that a frog placed directly in boiling water would jump out, but one placed in cool water that is slowly heated would not perceive the threat until it's too late and is then boiled to death. This fable warns against complacency.

The Apostle Paul implores Timothy, and us, to “guard what God has entrusted to you.” (1 Timothy 6:20) I believe it is vitally important for us to know what we believe, and to pray and live what we believe. One of the enduring gifts of the ancient confessions and liturgies of the Christian church, is that they can keep us grounded in the truth of God in Christ Jesus. Paul modeled what it looks like to have our lives hidden in Christ and where we live, move and have our being in Him. Seeking the life in Christ as our way of life is a 24/7 endeavor and requires constant vigilance so that we can strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. Then we can run with endurance the race God has set before us as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. (See Hebrews 12:1-2)

My Takeaway: Will you pray with me? “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen” (Collect for Purity, BCP)

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.