Life’s Not Fair

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 12, 2026

Life’s Not Fair

But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

Luke 10:40

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went to the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary in Bethany. While Jesus was teaching those gathered around him, including Mary who was sitting at his feet, he was called upon to referee Martha’s dispute with her sister.  “It’s not fair” is one of the most over-used phrases in our culture. While a call for fairness seems rational, implicit in the cry is the individual’s belief that their self-interest lies at the center of the universe and the scales of life should tilt in their favor.  Sometimes you just want to scream at those crying for fairness, “Life’s not fair! Get over it!”

But Jesus isn’t a screamer; however, his lack of volume doesn’t diminish the making of his point. Jesus responded to Martha’s request by once again reminding his disciples, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42) Jesus’ words here are a very succinct summary of his words in the Sermon on the Mount,

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:31-33)

My Takeaway: I am thinking of Stephen Covey and his classic work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His first three habits are: 1: be proactive, 2: begin with the end in mind, and 3: put first things first. Martha was doing 1 & 3, but she forgot number 2: begin with the end in mind, or as Jesus stated it, There is only one thing worth being concerned about, Seek the Kingdom of God above all else. This is the end I always want to remember.

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 © 2026 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.

 

Our High Priest

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 9, 2026

Our High Priest

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses,

for he faced all of the same testings we do,

yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 4:15 

Eugene Peterson’s, The Message, renders today’s verse as,

We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin.

Together, these two translations help us focus on two critical points: 1- Jesus did this, not an angel or other messenger of God; and 2,  Jesus faced ALL of our testings. There is nothing we can experience in life which Jesus has not already been there, and experienced, but without sin.

No, this isn’t about misery loves company. The point of our High Priest first walking our path is revealed in the next verse:

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (v.16)

Again, I think Rev. Peterson’s translation helps us grasp the writer’s point:

So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. (v.16 MSG)

Later in Hebrews 12:28, we are instructed to respond to God’s grace by worshipping God with reverence and awe. For me, Peterson’s, “So let’s walk right up to him” clashes a bit with reverence and awe, so I lean more toward coming boldly to the throne. But, getting what he is so ready to give, and taking the mercy and accepting the help, this resonates with me.

My Takeaway: I want to stay in God’s grace for each day, and I am enabled to do so by realizing He is so ready and willing to give His mercy and help.

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 © 2026 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.

 

Unless I Wash You

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 8, 2026

Unless I Wash You

So (Jesus) got up from the table, took off his robe,

wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin.

Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet,

drying them with the towel he had around him.

John 13:4-5 

Yesterday, we remembered the Supremacy of Christ in Colossians 1:15-20. We remembered that God reconciled everything to himself, making peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Yesterday, we remembered that we, who have trusted in Christ, have been brought into the presence of God, holy and blameless without a single fault. Today, we see this Jesus, who shed his blood on the cross so that we may come into the presence of God, took upon himself the role of a servant and washed the feet of his disciples.

Handling the filthy feet of his disciples, (remember they had walked around all day in sandals on dusty roads and paths) is both an act of servanthood, and something very intimate. This, from the one soon to be acclaimed as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This act of Jesus can be processed in many directions, not the least of which is our understanding of a leader. Personally, I cannot not think of one leader, either in public service or in service to a church, who can be favorably compared to Jesus in this setting. What about me? In my service as a leader in my home, with my wife and my children, how do I measure up against Jesus in today’s setting from John’s Gospel?

My Takeaway: Bishop N.T. Wright brought home from a visit to Israel, an olivewood carving of Peter protesting Jesus’ washing of his feet. (verses 13:6-9) The carving reminds him of Jesus’ words to Peter: “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” (8b)

I will never be a Godly leader in my home, or elsewhere, until I first allow Jesus to wash 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 © 2026 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.

Holy, Blameless, Without Fault

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 7, 2026

Holy, Blameless, Without Fault

Yet now he 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.

Colossians 1:22

Paul’s words here, immediately follow his magnificent prose affirming the Supremacy of Christ, in Colossians 1:15-20. After stating that God reconciled everything to himself, making peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross, Paul tells us the result is that we, who have trusted in Christ, have been brought into the presence of God, holy and blameless without a single fault.

Paul wrote something like this to the church in Rome when he stated, “now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Let’s do ourselves a huge favor. Let’s pause for a few minutes and truly allow these truths from scripture to sink deep into our heart. Now, at this moment, because there is no condemnation for us who belong to Jesus, spiritually, again, at this very moment, we are standing before God the Father Almighty, and we are holy and blameless without a single fault.

Is there any person who knows us, or has known us, who finds no fault with us? I cannot think of any such person in my life. And I cannot say they are wrong in their judgement. But ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden, declares we are holy and blameless without a single fault.

My Takeaway: My heart belongs to ALMIGHTY God.

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 © 2026 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.

The Day of Epiphany

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 6, 2026

The Day of Epiphany

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say.

My Father will love them,

and we will come and make our home with each of them.

John 14:23

When I read this verse today, I thought of the delightful spiritual meditation, My Heart, Christ's Home by Robert Boyd Munger, first published in 1951. Remember, when we speak biblically of our heart, we mean much more than the organ that pumps life- sustaining blood throughout our body. Biblically, our heart is our soul, the center of our essence as a person, our mind, emotions, and will. Jesus says when we realize our life belongs to God, by creation and redemption our life belongs to God, The Father and Son and Holy Spirit will make their home within us. The Apostle Paul internalized this truth as, “For ‘In him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28 NRSV)

This truth renders moot the thought we can discharge our responsibility, our duty to God by showing up an hour each week for Sunday worship. If God is making His home within us, if we live and move and have our being in Him, then His grasp on us is complete, 24/7. On the liturgical calendar, today is The Day of Epiphany, which remembers the revelation of Jesus to the world, first by the visit of the Maji, and throughout the season of Epiphany, by all the means Jesus revealed he was God’s Messiah. What does this have to do with us? Everything!

Remember, ‘In him we live and move and have our being.” Because this is true, we can expect our Lord to manifest his presence in our life each day. In this way, the Season of Epiphany isn’t just several weeks until Ash Wednesday, our Season of Epiphany is every day for our entire life.

My Takeaway: As I am experiencing Jesus manifesting his presence in my life, each day, I am staying in God’s grace for each 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 © 2026 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.

 

Our Lord of the Impossible

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 5, 2026

Our Lord of the Impossible

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:14a 

These were the words of the Lord immediately after Sarah laughed when Abraham was told Sarah would have a child within a year. Jesus said something similar after he told his disciples, “It is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” The disciples responded, “Then who in the world can be saved?” “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:23-26)

As we begin this New Year together, we want to be optimistic, but many of us may feel a bit lost. Even so, our Lord is the Lord of the impossible. We may feel confused by the chaos of life, even so, we can hope in Him. Even when we feel loss and grief upon us, we can also feel His steadfast love is upon us. God’s word to Abraham and Sarah, and Jesus’ word to his disciples, is an affirmation that we can trust our Lord of the impossible

It is very important to keep our eyes on the goal, on our ultimate purpose. But it is also important to stay in the moment, to realize our journey to our destination is as important as our destination.

My Takeaway: As I seek the life in Christ as my way of life, I am learning that the process God is using to make my goal a reality in my life, is as important as my goal. My life in Christ is both my journey and my destination.

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 © 2026 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.

I Trust Him with All My Heart

Meditations for the Season of Christmas 

January 2, 2026

NOTE: I hope you have experienced the unfailing love of God throughout this Advent and Christmas Season. On Monday, January 5, 2026, I will resume my meditations on Staying in the Grace for Today.

I Trust Him with All My Heart

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.”

Psalm 28:7

Jesus taught his disciples “with God everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26).  Sometimes our faith is tested because we do not see answers to our prayers. Can we still believe, even though we do not see? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews makes clear that faith is the unwavering determination to trust God, to believe God, even when we do not see the results we want.

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Because God is the Lord of the impossible, bringing life out of death, bringing success out of apparent failure, we can look at seemingly impossible circumstances and choose the way of the psalmist:

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.”

In the first portion of this psalm, David seems overwhelmed with the corruption of society. He steadfastly believed in the judgment of God and did not want to be caught up in God’s judgment of the wicked. As David prayed to the Lord, his rock, he asked for mercy. Then, amid his lament, his prayer for mercy turned into a prayer of praise,

“Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy.”

What caused his change?

I believe the Apostle Paul helps us understand this change. In Romans 8: 15-16 Paul writes,

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

When we come to God in faith, God participates in our prayers. God’s Spirit bears witness to our spirit, and God’s Spirit thus helps us stand firm in our faith, even when our circumstances have not changed.

My Takeaway: Consider this wonderful promise as 2025 has ended and we have entered the New Year, 2026:  With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can trust God with our lives. Thank God for the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. He did not leave us alone.

Hallelujah!

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 © 2026 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.