Seeking the Life in Christ: 2025

Friday, December 12, 2025

Results

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 12, 2025

Results

“But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

Matthew 11:19b

Read Matthew 11:16-19

Jesus ends his discussion about John the Baptist by using a children’s game to compare his ministry and John’s ministry. Of John, who was austere and always serious, Jesus said, “. . . so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t mourn.” That is, John preached repentance for the Kingdom of God, and the people did not respond. Oh, some, maybe even many, did respond for a while. Ultimately, the people went on with their life, and the powerful people killed John.

Of his own ministry, Jesus said, “. . . ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance.” Jesus’ ministry contrasts with John’s as Jesus was a friend of tax collectors and sinners and feasts and drinks with them. As with John, the people did not respond. Oh, some did respond for a while, but ultimately the powerful killed Jesus.

So, what are the results that reveal wisdom? Jesus’ answer to John’s disciples are the results:

“. . . the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5)

My Takeaway: Today we see all sorts of contrasting styles in ministry. Some people meet in an informal manner, cups of coffee in hand and the speaker in an untucked shirt. Others gather in pomp and circumstance, clergy adorned in robes and colorful paraments throughout their sanctuary. These styles are all well and good if wisdom is shown to be right by its results: are disciples being made, is the Good News being preached to the poor?

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.

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.

Thursday, December 11, 2025

I Wish God Moved Faster

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 11, 2025

I Wish God Moved Faster

“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!

Matthew 11:11

Read Matthew 11:11-15

Jesus was not diminishing John the Baptist when he said the least in the Kingdom of Heaven are greater than John. Jesus was pointing to a complete reordering of the world. Jesus is saying, from the perspective of God, all that is happening in nation capitals, pales in comparison to what is happening in our churches this Sunday. This is where real and lasting progress toward a society that loves mercy and acts justly is being nourished.

This truth calls me to confess that there are times when I am impatient with the ways of God. I wish God moved faster to answer prayers, punish injustice and renew the face of the earth. My impatience is accompanied by anxiety and worry.

I have learned that when I am worrying, it is because I am not nourishing the life of Christ in me. Worrying means there is something over which I cannot have my own way. Worry or disappointment is evidence of my personal irritation with God. Ouch! The truth hurts! The purpose of prayer is to nourish the life of Christ within me. Worrying means I am more focused on my circumstances than I am on becoming the person God created me to be.

My Takeaway: Because I am prone to stumble in my impatient ways, I pray daily,

“I am not my own, I am Thine. By creation and redemption, I am Thine. I will devote myself to Thy divine service this day and forever. O grant me grace for this, dear Lord. Amen.”

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.)

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Come to Me

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 10, 2025

Come to Me

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Read Matthew 11:28-30

Many years ago, I discovered, in Clearwater, Florida, a place of prayer on the shores of Tampa Bay. Near one of the buildings, there was a rose garden, and in the center of the rose garden, there was a ten-foot-high statue of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, with a lamb across his shoulders. That statue captivated me because of the way it expressed the gentleness and kindness of Jesus. When I was in Israel, I chose as a keepsake to bring home an olive-wood carving of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. My sense of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the seeker of lost sheep, is the reason I focus on the words weary, rest, gentle, humble, easy, and light in today’s passage. However, if I am not careful, I will miss the point Jesus was making. That point is within a word used twice in the passage: yoke.

For Jesus, the yoke represents obedience to God. To take Jesus’ yoke is to be obedient to His commandments about the Kingdom of God. It means a willingness to serve others with humility and mercy. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light, not because there is little to do for His followers; this is a yoke he is offering, not a hammock. Being yoked with Jesus means, in a world that can be very hostile to God’s Kingdom, we will affirm each day our desire to fulfill God’s will in our lives. I made such an affirmation this morning as my prayer at the close of my devotion time included this line:

“Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace . . .”

My Takeaway: Even though Jesus’ yoke calls me to a self-sacrificial life, it is appealing to me because his yoke is the only place my soul has found true comfort, rest and satisfaction. That’s because being yoked to Jesus is where I was created to be.

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.)

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 9, 2025

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

Luke 1:38a

Read Luke 1:26-38

There is much for us to ponder in this very familiar passage foretelling the birth of Jesus. Today’s passage follows the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist. In that passage, God invited Zachariah to take a leap of faith. Zachariah was serving in the Temple, the place where God would be expected to speak to His people. An angel of the Lord spoke, and Zachariah balked. In today’s passage, Mary received her invitation from the Lord, and she didn’t balk: “Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38). The trained theologian balked; the laywoman believed.

We also see an introduction of our Trinitarian understanding of God introduced in this passage. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all present in this passage. This first advent of Christ is the decision and active will of all members of the Trinity.

The angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (verse 28 NIV) gives me another point to ponder. We have no definitive information of the age of Mary when she became pregnant with Jesus, but the best guess is fifteen or sixteen. As I reflect Gabriel’s greeting to Mary, I believe God had long been preparing Mary to be the mother of Jesus, perhaps even before she was born.

My Takeaway: I think I need to read and mediate on Psalm 139.

   ¹³For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

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.)

Monday, December 8, 2025

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 8, 2025

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.

Luke 5:25

Read Luke 5:17-26

In my mind’s eye, I can see Jesus was grinning as the paralyzed man was lowered through the roof, although I don’t think the homeowner was as amused. As Jesus speaks to the paralyzed man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:20), I can also see Jesus offering a knowing wink to his disciples. Jesus knew what was coming next; the Pharisees objected to his audacity in forgiving sins. Jesus’ point here is not that the man’s sins caused him to be paralyzed; his point is that he has the authority to heal broken spirits through the forgiveness of sins, as well as the power to heal broken bodies. The Pharisees missed the point because they were jealous that Jesus was offering the forgiving, healing power of God apart from their Temple and religious establishment.

Because of their jealousy, the Pharisees could not see how God honors faith. The paralyzed man desperately needed to come to Jesus, but couldn’t, not on his own. His friend’s believed God was present in Jesus and were desperate to place their friend in the company of Jesus. Their actions remind me of the words from the praise song, Breathe,

“And I I'm desperate for you; And I I'm lost without you.

I receive the paralyzed man’s story as an invitation to look deep within myself. Where does my self-sufficiency end? For what am I desperate for God? Where am I lost without God?

My Takeaway: I also see another invitation. The paralyzed man’s friends took huge risks to help their friend who could not help himself. Their friendship demonstrated love that is self-sacrificing, for the good of another. Is there anyone in my life who needs me to love like that? Am I willing to love like that?

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.)

Friday, December 5, 2025

Jesus Heals the Blind

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 5, 2025

Jesus Heals the Blind

They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?” “Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.” Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”

Matthew 9:28-29

Read Matthew 9: 27-31

Jesus said it was because of their faith that he could make the men see. These men revealed their faith in two ways. The first was in the way they addressed Jesus: Son of David and Lord. These titles indicated that Jesus was the Messiah and that they were acknowledging his authority. Secondly, “They went right into the house where he was staying” (Matthew 9:28a). Their faith was active, and I suspect the Apostle James could have used them as an example of “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22a).

These men had processed all they had heard about Jesus and reached the conclusion that he was Son of David and Lord. Their faith contrasts with the lack of faith of the Pharisees who said, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). The Pharisees not only heard about Jesus, but with their own eyes, they witnessed the blind receiving sight. However, they reached a different conclusion about Jesus.

The blind men were driven by desperation. Jesus was their only option, and they were compelled to believe that Jesus was in fact who he said he was. The Pharisees weren’t so limited in their options for life.

My Takeaway: I believe the blind men epitomize these words of Jesus, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:3.) I want to be counted in their company, how about you?

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.)

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Building on a Solid Foundation

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 4, 2025

Building on a Solid Foundation

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”

Matthew 7:24

Read Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Today’s passage is near the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has invited all people to come to him and receive eternal life. Jesus has painted a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God. He has described a way of living that I want to be my way of life. Jesus is also telling his followers there is no cheap grace. There is a cost to discipleship. Jesus wants to be very clear so that people know that while they have been invited to come as they are and live under the reign of God, when they come in, they will want to change the way they are living.

I believe Eugene Peterson’s rendering of this passage in Matthew’s Gospel captures Jesus’ intent perfectly:

“Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention”

(Matthew 7: 13-14 The Message).

In this digital age, where we can be overwhelmed with information and misinformation, finding our way to the life in Christ can seem quite daunting. However daunting the task may be, it is not impossible to find the truth because Jesus has promised,

“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:8).

My Takeaway: Twenty-six times in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, “I tell you the truth.” In John 14:6, Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus is the Truth we seek amidst the issues of our times.

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.)

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

But Joy Comes with the Morning

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 3, 2025

But Joy Comes with the Morning

For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 30:5

When Jesus was on the Cross, he quoted from Psalms 22 and 31. Because of those quotes, it has been suggested he may have prayed all the psalms from 22-31 while on the Cross. Psalm 30 is certainly a psalm Jesus would have remembered, if not on the Cross, then in his Garden of Gethsemane prayers.

The instructions for the psalm refer to the dedication of the Temple. From about 160 B.C. the Jews included this psalm in their celebration of Hanukkah. Judas Maccabaeus led Israel against a foreign army that had invaded Israel and defeated them. Maccabaeus then led the people to purify the Temple and to hold a festival every year to commemorate the rededication of the Temple. This festival, Hanukkah, which means dedication, is held at a time on the Jewish calendar that is close to our December 25 date.

When David wrote this psalm, he was remembering all the suffering and the feelings of abandonment he experienced during the period King Saul was pursuing him across all of Israel. The people of Israel had very similar feelings under the oppression of the foreign invaders, so this psalm was an appropriate expression of their joy when the yoke of the oppressors was broken.

The author of Hebrews calls us to look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). When I read that verse, I immediately think of Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

My Takeaway: Psalm 30 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the mouth of Jesus as he sang and danced as he burst forth from the grave on Resurrection Sunday. In times of sickness or distress, Psalm 30 is a very helpful reminder to keep our eyes on Jesus. When we do, we can sing with the psalmist, and Jesus,

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning

and clothed me with joy,

that I might sing praises to you

and not be silent.

O Lord my God,

I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 30:11-12

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.)

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 2, 2025

Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”

Luke 10:23-24

In Luke 10:21-24, Luke presents all three persons of the Trinity. Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke to his Father, Lord of heaven and earth. The Trinity is revealed in complete unity and harmony.

In this passage, Jesus blessed his disciples, and, by extension, he blesses you and me, his disciples today. How can this be? We are blessed because our Father in heaven has revealed the truth of Jesus to us. We did not learn this from any human being. Remember when Peter made his affirmation: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Jesus immediately tells Peter, “. . . my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.” 16:17) This is just as we saw yesterday; Jesus does the calling, and Jesus does the revealing. It may be helpful here to think, the Trinity does the calling and revealing. This understanding is important to me as we enter the season of Advent. In this season, we remember the incarnation of Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us. And we remember that our Christian expectation looks for the coming of Jesus again in final victory. I admit this is more than my mortal mind can fully comprehend. To that, I trust Jesus’ Father in heaven will reveal His truth to me.

My Takeaway: The Apostle Paul understood this blessing of Jesus when he wrote, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

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.)

Monday, December 1, 2025

The First Disciples

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Season of Advent

December 1, 2025

We are now in the Christian season of Advent. This English word comes from a Latin word meaning “coming” and as used in the Christian calendar it designates the four Sundays before Christmas during which Christians reflect on the meaning of the second coming of Christ and prepare for the Christmas season (Twelve days from Christmas to the Epiphany, January 6). Advent connects the first and the final coming of Christ because it is through our belief in the first coming of Jesus – his birth and his life, death, and resurrection – that gives us faith and hope in his promised coming again in final victory.

The First Disciples

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me,

and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Matthew 4:19

Fifteen years ago, I had the opportunity to stroll along the water’s edge on the Sea of Galilee. I thought about Peter and Andrew and James and John leaving their nets and boats to follow Jesus. My thoughts then turned to when I heard Jesus call me to follow him. I don’t mean my call to the itinerate ministry. When did I hear Jesus call me to be his follower, his disciple, a Christian? I recalled bits and pieces, starts and stops, youth groups and college classes. I remembered a friend inviting me to church. As I looked back, I was thankful for all the starts and stops, funerals and weddings. All the places where I heard bits and pieces about Jesus and the love of God that were used by God as His prevenient grace to prepare me for the most important day in my life: the day I heard Jesus call my name.

Two points stand out to me today as I read this passage. First, it is Jesus who does the calling. It wasn’t my idea to become a follower of Jesus – it was his idea, he called me! Secondly, I don’t mold myself into a follower of Jesus. Jesus shows me how to be his follower. (see Philippians 2:13)

My Takeaway: Jesus didn’t wait long to show his disciples how to follow him. Immediately after today’s passage, Jesus delivers his Sermon on the Mount, an intense course in advanced discipleship. (Matthew 5, 6, & 7) Jesus has, and is, giving us everything we need to be his faithful followers.

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.)

Friday, November 28, 2025

The Air He Breathed

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today

November 28, 2025

NOTE: On December 1, 2025, I will interrupt this series of meditations and focus on the Seasons of Advent and Christmas. Meditations on Staying In the Grace for Today will return on January 5, 2026.

The Air He Breathed

“What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”

1 Samuel 28:19

King Saul had lost the favor of God. A new king, David, had already been anointed. In the last days of Saul’s reign; the Philistine army had amassed against Israel. Saul, desperate to find favor with God had issued a decree that any worship of idols or seeking of fortune tellers would be punishable by death. Yet when all his desperate attempts to receive a word from the Lord failed, Saul went to a fortune teller and had her conjure up the spirit of the prophet Samuel who had first anointed Saul as king. Samuel’s message to Saul is devastating: “Tomorrow you and your sons will be dead like me.”

Much has been written about Saul and what he did, or didn’t do, that cost him God’s favor. I think George Eliot, in one of her novels perfectly captured Saul’s nature. In describing a character in one of her novels, she wrote: “The opinion of others formed the very air he breathed.” Saul never satisfied his appetite for approval. Repeatedly, he deferred to what he thought the people wanted as he sought their love and adoration. Repeatedly, he chose the applause of the people over his obedience to God’s will.

The Bible teaches us about another man named Saul, also of the tribe of Benjamin. He, too, was anointed by God as a chosen vessel to lead God’s people. When this Saul, who is better known as the Apostle Paul, arrived in Corinth he proclaimed, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV). Paul stayed true to his word and never sought the applause of people over the applause of heaven.

My Takeaway: Seeking God’s approval over the approval of people is a core value of the life in Christ. I am helped in this regard as I seek to pattern my life after the essential nature of Paul’s life. When Paul was in Athens he described his life in Christ as, “For in (Christ) we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28 NIV). I want the air I breathe to be living, moving and being in Christ.

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.)

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Thankful For My Shepherd

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today

November 27, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful For My Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

Psalm 23:1

For more than thirty-five years, I have had a fascination with the Bible’s use of metaphors of sheep and shepherds. My good friend in South Georgia, who had sheep on her farm, looked at me and said, “I don’t get your fascination with sheep. Don’t you know they are as stupid as a hammer?” No, I didn’t know that, but I have learned that sheep aren’t smart.

They will wander into running water for a drink and when their wool gets saturated, they may drown. They need a shepherd to lead them to still waters. Sheep have no natural defenses. They are helpless and desperately need a shepherd with a rod and staff to protect them. Sheep have no sense of direction. They need a shepherd to lead them along right paths.

I, too, can be swept away by situations I should have avoided. I, too, lack natural defenses against the wiles of the evil one who “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) I too can get lost trying to find my way in a world that opposes everything Holy to me. I, too, need a shepherd to lead, protect, and guide me.

Thank God, the Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

Cheryl and I hope you have a blessed day with family and friends and that you too will rejoice for Christ Jesus, our beloved Shepherd.

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.)

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Just in Case

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today

November 26, 2025

Just in Case

“. . . Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her.”

Genesis 31:19b

In the Book of Genesis, we learn that Isaac sent his son, Jacob, to Paddan Aram, the homeland of Jacob’s mother Rebecca, to seek a wife. He met and fell in love with Rachel but through the shenanigans of his uncle, Laban, Jacob first married Rachel’s older sister, Leah. It was seven years later that he married Rachel. Several years later, Jacob sensed God saying, “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you” (Genesis 31:3). When Jacob told Rachel his God was calling him to return to his homeland, she affirmed that his God had blessed them abundantly and that there is no God but Jacob’s God, the God of Israel. But as she packed to leave, Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her. Just in case.

It is not unusual for people coming to the Christian faith from other cultures and religions to bring with them some of their previous cultural and religious customs. The Apostle Paul addressed these concerns in his letters to the Colossians and Corinthians. It is also not unusual for Christian people to adopt and incorporate into their life, customs from their culture that have no relevance to the life in Christ. Sometimes these new add-ons are innocent and harmless; however, sometimes, like Rachel with her purloined idols, we are knowingly hedging our bets.

We never, ever want to lose sight of the truth that God wants the entirety of our lives! To this end, I often pray, “I render Thee the homage of my being and my life. I am not my own, I am Thine. By creation and redemption, I am Thine.”

My Takeaway: In my personal devotions, the Sunday preceding the Season of Advent is Christ the King Sunday where I affirm Christ as King over my life. I look for any “Just in Case” customs or idols, that may have crept into my life, by praying Psalm 139:23-24. Perhaps you will join me in this prayer.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

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.)

Friday, December 12, 2025

Results

Thursday, December 11, 2025

I Wish God Moved Faster

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Come to Me

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Monday, December 8, 2025

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

Friday, December 5, 2025

Jesus Heals the Blind

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Building on a Solid Foundation

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

But Joy Comes with the Morning

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

Monday, December 1, 2025

The First Disciples

Friday, November 28, 2025

The Air He Breathed

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Thankful For My Shepherd

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Just in Case

Seeking the Life in Christ

About Me

Blog Archive

Followers

First Think - Then Pray

Books I Am Reading

Recent Books I Have Enjoyed