Friday, August 29, 2025

His Goal Is to Make Me His Own

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 29, 2025

His Goal Is to Make Me His Own

I will make you my wife forever,

    showing you righteousness and justice,

    unfailing love and compassion.

I will be faithful to you and make you mine,

    and you will finally know me as the Lord.

Hosea 2: 19-20 

I summarized the Bible as: God created humankind to dwell with Him for all eternity. Humankind rejected God. God has been and will continue to devote all his energy to winning back humankind.

With my hindsight, I can see all the steps, missteps, twists and turns in my life. And I can see the Hand of God giving me opportunity after opportunity to turn to Him and accept His offer of new life in Christ. I can remember when I did trust in His grace and accept Jesus as my Savior. I can also see all the times since then when I was,

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love, 

And I can recall all the times I have said,

Here's my heart Lord, take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

(Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing) 

My Takeaway: Along my journey, I have learned God’s goal for me has never been to make me happy. His goal is to make me His, and His alone. His goal is not to give me what I think I want. Rather, His goal is for me to worship Him with reverence and awe.

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.

 

Thursday, August 28, 2025

“Houston, We Have a Problem!”

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 28, 2025

“Houston, We Have a Problem!”

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 

I believe for most of my readers this is a familiar passage. As for me, I see this passage every day. It is Cheryl’s favorite Bible passage, and she includes it for the signature in her email account. Every week in our worship service, we affirm Jesus’ imperative to love (trust) God with your whole heart, soul and mind, so the essence of today’s passage is very familiar to me. Certainly, if we seek to follow this teaching, every day, we will stay in God’s grace for the day.

Today, the second line has captured my attention; “do not depend on your own understanding.” My own understanding of my life is influenced by the evening news, by social media accounts I follow, by my interactions with friends and family, and by everything that my eyes, ears, and mind takes in each day. My quick calculation revealed these cultural influences account for 94% of my awake hours each week. “Houston, we have a problem!”

On the positive side, I believe I am doing much better acknowledging God in all my ways, but I can see how my leaning on my own understanding contributes to my missing His direction for my life. Lord, have mercy upon me. Christ, have mercy upon me. Lord, have mercy upon me. Yes, and amen.

My Takeaway: “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” (Proverbs 9:10)

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.

 

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Speak Out

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 27, 2025

Speak Out

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

Colossians 1:28-29 

“Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!” (Psalm 107:2) You may be more familiar with this verse rendered as, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,” but I really like the NLT’s translation as it makes the statement clearly an imperative as I believe the author of the psalm intended.

Speaking out was exactly what Paul gave his life to after encountering his redemption on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9) Two points caught my attention as I read today’s passage. First, when Paul wrote of his desire to present people to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ, he was not the one making them perfect. God had already done that when they confessed their sins and their faith in Christ Jesus. Paul was just presenting to God his newly redeemed children.

Secondly, it was real work for Paul to give his time and energy to the task of speaking out about God’s redeeming us through faith in Christ. And Paul was able to give himself to this work because of Christ’s mighty power that was working within him.

My Takeaway: Christ has redeemed us and calls us to speak out! Like Paul, we can depend on Christ’s mighty power that is working within us to fulfill our assignment.

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.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Christ Is All That Matters

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 26, 2025

Christ Is All That Matters

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Colossians 3:10-11 

Like yesterday’s passage from John’s Gospel, in today’s scripture, Paul’s affirmation of our right standing with God is just as simple and straightforward as is Jesus’ words. Again, we ask, “Can it be this simple?” and again the Holy Spirit speaks into our heart, “YES!”

And again, we find that religious leaders and scholars have spent the last two thousand years making Paul’s teaching much more complicated. Listening to these other voices, countless Christians seem to fall in and out of grace, in and out of their salvation, their right standing with their Creator. I wrote in my meditation, Flawless, a few days ago, that the Apostle Paul affirmed our right standing with God in Colossians 1:22,

“(God) has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

In today’s scripture, Paul is calling us to accept our position in Christ and yield ourselves to work cooperatively with God as He forms Christ within us, as He leads us to live out life in our new nature.

My Takeaway: Christ is all that matters! Can it be this simple? Yes, because Christ lives in 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.)

 

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.

 

Monday, August 25, 2025

Be at Rest

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 25, 2025

Be at Rest

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”

John 5:24 

My understanding is that biblical history from the time God called Abram, later Abraham, is approximately four thousand years, (Genesis 12) Throughout these four millenniums, humankind has been trying to understand God, and especially God’s relationship to humans. Jesus’ statement, quoted above, is simple and straight forward. Can our relationship with God be this simple? I think so, although humankind has been trying to make it more complicated for the last four thousand years.

Cheryl and I use the app, Daily Office, as a guide for our morning prayer time together. Included in the daily guide are readings from the Psalms, OT, NT, and a Gospel reading. A simple summary of these readings is that humans have been beset with all manners of trials, tribulations, oppressions, and generally have been continually warred upon by other humans and the forces of nature.

As I think about the people on our growing prayer list, and the turmoil in our world today, I am comforted by the words of Corrie Ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place.

“If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.

If you look within, you'll be depressed.

If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”

 

“You can never learn that Christ is all you need,

until Christ is all you have.” 

Experiencing God’s rest, His peace that passes all understanding can be elusive. That’s because having Christ as all you have is the most difficult self-surrender we will ever undertake.

My Takeaway: I believe Ms. Ten Boom read Jesus’ words above and believed him. I too want to believe in Jesus’ simple and straightforward promise. Beyond anything the world offers, I want to look at God and be at rest. When I do, I will be resting securely in His 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.

Friday, August 22, 2025

Good Counsel for Every Day of Our Lives

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 22, 2025

Good Counsel for Every Day of Our Lives

“Precious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of his faithful ones.”

Psalm 116:15 (NRSV)

God is not limited to just our mortal lives to fulfill His promises. From God’s eternal perspective, through our mortal death, He gives us rest from our sufferings, rest from our labor and for some, rest from the weariness of long lives. Eternal life is life uninterrupted by death:

“Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

 O death, where is your victory?

    O death, where is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:54-55

Psalm 116 is also a psalm for living. The psalmist had a near death encounter and is giving thanks to God for saving his life. However, all Christians have had a near death encounter. Apart from Jesus we were near death, “For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:56-57).

The Apostle Paul concludes 1 Corinthians 15, his great proclamation of the victory won by Jesus over sin and death, with a call to “be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The writer of Psalm 116 includes this same theme through four “I will” statements:

“I will lift up the cup of salvation

    and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.

I will keep my promises to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people.

I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving

    and call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people—“

Psalm 116:13-14, 17-18 

My Takeaway: I believe these four “I will” statements are good counsel for every day of our lives, and our focus on the “I will” statements will keep us grounded in God’s grace for each day.

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.

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Flawless

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 21, 2025

Flawless

For by that one offering he forever made perfect those

who are being made holy.

Then he says,

“I will never again remember

    their sins and lawless deeds.”

And when sins have been forgiven,

there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

Hebrews 10: 14, 17-18

The Apostle Paul, in Colossians 1:22, spoke to the truth in the verses quoted above

“(God) has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

The music group, MercyMe, proclaims this truth in their popular worship song, Flawless.

"No matter the bumps, no matter the bruises, no matter the scars, still the truth is the cross has made you flawless. no matter the hurt, or how deep the wound is, no matter the pain, still the truth is, the cross has made you flawless."

I love that song! I believe it beautifully captures the truth of our right-standing relationship with God. Jesus, God’s Messiah came to establish the people of God as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We often want to pause and ask, how is this working out in our life? Jesus has made it possible for us to serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. (Romans 7:6)

This new way of living in the Spirit is ours because Christ has made us holy and blameless as we stand before him without a single fault. As we take our pause, let’s think about our life and remember that when we put our faith and trust in Jesus, God looks at us as holy and blameless and without a single fault. Let’s take time to think about our character traits, our habits and the routines of our daily life. How does our life, as we are choosing to live it, reflect the truth of what Christ has accomplished for us by the means of his blood on the cross?

My Takeaway: I invite you to join me and take a leap of faith and invite the Holy Spirit to so transform our life, that the life of Jesus, which is holy and blameless and without fault, may be made visible in our mortal flesh.

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.

 

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Growth In Grace

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 20, 2025

Growth In Grace

Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18a 

A supervisor was interviewing two employees for a promotion. After the interviews he selected Bob for the promotion. A colleague was surprised by his choice and asked, “Why Bob?” “Experience” the supervisor replied. “But Bob has only been here five years; the other man has ten years’ experience.” “No, Bob has five years’ experience, the other guy has one year experience ten times.”

So, how long have we been Christians; how many years’ experiences in the faith do we have? Are we having the same experience repeatedly or are we growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When I am helping leading retreats, we invite the participants to understand their priorities in life by asking them to think about where they spend their money; how do they spend their free time; and what is the subject of their daydreams. Similarly, we can test our growth in grace and knowledge of Christ by asking about spiritual disciplines.

First, how is our prayer time? Secondly, how is our study time? Thirdly, how disciplined are we in our giving to the Lord? And fourth, how much time do we spend in Christian fellowship?

My Takeaway: These spiritual disciplines will not save us, but they well may reveal if we have yet been saved to the uttermost: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25 NKJV)   

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.

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

A Place of Permanence

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 19, 2025

A Place of Permanence

The Lord will guide you continually,

    giving you water when you are dry

    and restoring your strength.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like an ever-flowing spring.

Isaiah 58:11 

As Cheryl and I walked across the street to visit a neighbor, I observed our flowering plants by the mailbox were seriously drooping. “I’ll water them when we come home” she said. She didn’t have to; a nice summer shower provided for them within an hour. The next morning as I backed out of our driveway, I saw “a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”

To me, the verse quoted above, speaks of the permanence of God. Two places help me lay hold of this truth of God. The first is the stunning eloquence of the Supremacy of Christ in Colossians 1:15-20, affirming Christ existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. Christ Jesus is immoveable, never changing in his sacrificial love for all humankind. The second place is when I am kneeling at the altar and receiving Holy Communion. Presently, it is my custom to receive this sacrament approximately one hundred times each year. Whether I taste the sacrament once, or one hundred times, or ten thousand times, Christ is the same in the elements of Holy Communion. When I receive the bread and cup, I experience anew the presence of Jesus in my life as I look forward to his coming again in final victory.

My Takeaway: My places of permanence are Holy Scripture and Holy Communion. Together they keep me grounded in God’s grace for today. Where are your places of permanence? 

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.

Monday, August 18, 2025

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 18, 2025

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

He shows mercy from generation to generation

    to all who fear him.

Luke 1:50 

The verse quoted above is from the portion of scripture referred to as, The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise. Mary was saying God shows mercy to those who worship him. I often pray to God for wisdom, and I am in awe of how he leads me. I often praise God from whom all blessings flow. I worship God for his mercy, for through His saving grace, He has laid hold of me and brought me into His blessed kingdom. I worship God for His mercy because He did what I can do; I cannot save myself.

There is no amount of good works I can offer to God, no amount of money I can put in the offering plate, no level of church attendance or service that is sufficient to save my soul. God’s wisdom will lead me, God’s strength will protect me, God’s provisions will sustain me, but only God’s mercy will save me.

In my church, we say the "Kyrie eleison" in each worship service. This Greek phrase means "Lord, have mercy". We repeat the phrase three times: “Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.” Why? Because God’s mercy is the heart of worship.

My Takeaway: As I seek to remain in God’s grace each day, I am finding the ancient liturgies, such as affirmations of faith, which are short course in Christianity, and the Kyrie eleison, helpful in reminding me God’s mercy is the ground of my faith.

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.

 

Friday, August 15, 2025

Where God Sees

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 15, 2025

Where God Sees

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 

Our church has a sanctuary candle affixed to the wall to the left of the altar. When the candle is burning it signals the host, Jesus, is present on the altar – that is the elements for Holy Communion are on the altar. When we enter the sanctuary and see the sanctuary candle burning it is a sign to maintain reverence as we are in the presence of Christ. Cheryl and I arrive for services on Sunday and Wednesday fifteen minutes early and are some of the first to enter the sanctuary. I cherish this quiet time preparing for worship.

During this quiet time, I often contemplate God’s work at forming Christ within me. I have commented before that it seems this process is moving at a glacial pace. That’s because like Samuel, I tend to look at my outward appearance and actions. When God wanted Samuel to anoint a king to replace Saul, Samuel judged Jesse’s sons by their outward appearance. God was looking deeper. So also, when God looks to me, He looks at my heart where Christ is, my hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

My Takeaway: Yes, God does see my outward appearance, that is, my sins. And He is working within me giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him. But when all is said and done, He sees my heart, He sees Christ in 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.

 

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Our Spiritual Giftedness Lane

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 14, 2025

Our Spiritual Giftedness Lane

“. . . try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities

by the light of the faith that God has given to you all.

Through the grace of God we have different gifts.

Romans 12:3,6 (J.B. Phillips New Testament) 

Many years ago, I worked on Missions for my Annual Conference. In advance of our Council of Ministries meeting we were given a book on spiritual gifts to read. The book included a survey to help identify our spiritual gifts. When we arrived at the meeting, we wrote the three gifts we had identified on our name tag. When we were meeting in our specific ministry groups, we first shared with our group our spiritual gifts. In my group of twelve people, almost all the gifts mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 were present.

We all have spiritual gifts. When we focus our time and energy on our specific spiritual gifts, we will flow in God’s grace. When we don’t, we will find ourselves on a bumpy road. I have been on a bumpy road for several months. For thirty-five years I have served as a spiritual director for weekend retreats. I have been quite effective in this role. Then I was asked to serve as the community spiritual director for the group that hosts these retreats. This job requires a different skill set, a skill set I do not possess. It has not been a good experience for me, and I am comforted to know my term is quickly winding down.

Brother J. B. Phillips would say I didn’t have a very sane estimate of my capabilities. He would be correct.

My Takeaway: There have been other times when I have leaped to accept an invitation to serve, and I didn’t take the time to seek Godly wisdom before accepting. In those times I became very much aware that I was not flowing in God’s grace. Do you recall the placard that says, “The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing? The main thing is to stay in our spiritual-giftedness lane. 

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.

 

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

The Disciples Worshiped Jesus

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 13, 2025

The Disciples Worshiped Jesus

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Matthew 14:32-33 

First, a bit of context for today’s scripture. Verses 32-33 are the response of the disciples as they had yet again been out in their boat when a storm arose. As they feared for their lives, they saw Jesus walking toward them, walking on the water! Peter thought he saw a ghost and challenged the “ghost” to command him to walk on the water. Jesus did and Peter walked on the water until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind and waves. Then Peter began to sink and shouted for the Lord to save him. The Lord did and as the two of them climbed into the boat the wind and waves abated. Then the disciples worshiped Jesus.

This phrase, “the disciples worshiped him,” caught my attention this morning. I don’t recall seeing that phrase any other time in the Gospels. I searched Bible Gateway and found only the reference in Matthew above. The disciples, as a group, didn’t worship Jesus after he raised the dead, healed the sick, and fed thousands with meager supplies. What was different when Jesus walked on the water to them.

I believe it was because they were acutely aware they needed saving! This miracle was deeply personal because it was their lives at stake.

My Takeaway: My worship of God is truly authentic, worship in spirit and truth, when I am acutely aware of how God has saved me, how God has blessed me, how God has called me to live in the F O G, the favor of God. The more I focus on laying hold of Him who has laid hold of me, the more I stay in His 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.

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Infinite Patience

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

August 12, 2025

Infinite Patience

And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:4-5 

Have you ever doubted your salvation, your right standing with God? I have. The Apostle Paul wrote, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Paul said if I belong to Christ, my old life is gone. Yet, there is no doubt the vestiges of my old life still make their presence known in my life today. Paul’s last phrase helps me reconcile my new life in Christ. He says, “a new life has begun.” I am not complete yet. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthias 13:12, “All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

My Heavenly Father knows me completely. And he is infinitely patient with me as He works to form Christ in me. I am learning to accept the vestiges of my old life as evidence that God is still at work within me.

My Takeaway: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6) 

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.