Knowing Jesus

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 24, 2026

Knowing Jesus

“I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Philippians 3:8a (NRSV) 

As we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, we are seeking to grasp the power of Jesus as “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25a). On our journey, we join with the Apostle Paul to “regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 NRSV). How are we, like Paul, to regard everything as loss?

In the centuries since the Industrial Revolution, people have grown in their confidence to be able to master their environment. There is a growing belief that through the power of human intellect, better government and education, the problems in human society can be cured. Over and against this idea, the Biblical witness declares the hope for humanity is divine grace.

In the more recent evolution of society, a third alternative has been established. Instead of the “either / or” of humanism or divine grace, there is a “both / and” movement that tries to hold to both a belief in God and confidence in human ability. On the surface, this movement seems to be an appropriate position; however, there is a huge problem with the “both / and” approach.

The “both / and” approach creates a temptation to dismiss or ignore the parts of Scripture we do not like, or do not understand, and instead, trust our own judgment and intellect. When we do so, we leave the “both / and” camp and move into the Humanist camp. The Apostle Paul wants us to remember that in Christ lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3) When we count all things as a loss compared to Jesus, we are availing ourselves of all the wisdom and knowledge within Christ.

My Takeaway: In my Wesleyan tradition, we seek the meaning of life through Scripture, Reason, Tradition and Experience. This way of living in our environment does not ignore human intellect and potential; it affirms that human intellect and potential are fully realized within God’s divine grace and will.

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.

 

Father, Into Your Hands

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

 April 23, 2026

Father, Into Your Hands

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

John 11:25a 

The resurrection is not some future event that will happen some day; the resurrection is a person. When Jesus spoke these words to his friend Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus was affirming that as God’s Messiah, he was bringing the future hope of God’s restored Kingdom to a present reality. How are we to understand Jesus’ words in our lives today?

The Apostle Paul made these words of Jesus the very ground of his hope in God. In the magnificent third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote,

“I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection . . . becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8, 10-11 NRSV).

Paul believed that the doorway to eternal life, to attaining resurrection from the dead, was through knowing Jesus and becoming like Jesus in his own death. Is that even possible for us mere mortals?

Yes it is! “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)

My Takeaway: Because the resurrection is the person of Jesus, we, like Paul, want to regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. (More on this thought tomorrow!)

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.

 

Blessed Be Your Name

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 22, 2026

Blessed Be Your Name

Take delight in the Lord,

    and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalm 37:4 

The psalmist wrote in verses 5-6: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” This is a very profound, yet simple, pattern for  our life. First, we commit our life to God. Second, we exercise faith in God by trusting Him with our life. Third, God will act. The psalmist is not very specific about how God will act, but the description is rather breathtaking. The psalmist is trying to describe the wonder, beauty and awe associated with being in the presence of God. The reward for faithfulness to God is being in perfect peace as we rest in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Seven times the psalmist refers to the blessing of God as, “The godly will possess the land and will live there forever” (Psalm 37:29). This means our reward is eternal.

My Takeaway: Our culture bombards us with messages that rewards and blessings must be tangible and received in the here and now. But God’s blessings are His presence with us, now and forever. Because of God’s faithfulness we can sing:

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful

Where your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be your name

 

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

 

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

 

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

 

Every blessing you pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

 

Blessed Be Your Name

Matt Redman 

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.

Be Sure of This

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 21, 2026

Be Sure of This

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20b 

Goodbyes are difficult. I don’t mean casual good-byes at the end of an evening together. I mean goodbyes when we know we will be separated by time and distance, and especially not knowing when or if we will be together again.  Jesus had thrilled his disciples with his post-resurrection appearances to them. He had commissioned them to carry on his work of making disciples and building for the Kingdom of God. Then he left them. Matthew does not record much of the details surrounding Jesus’ departure, other than remembering these beautiful words Jesus spoke, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I suspect some of the disciples, if not all of those gathered with Jesus that day, took His words to mean that he would be with them through their memory of all the places they had gone and all the teachings they received from Him. Ten days later they realized that Jesus meant exactly what he said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” On the Day of Pentecost, the promise of Jesus was fulfilled as he indwelled them through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

It is so very important for the followers of Christ to hold onto the promise that God is still working to bring about the complete reality of His New Creation. The way of the world today is not the way it will always be. Most certainly, Jesus is coming again in final victory at the end of this age, but we are not left alone just trying to stay busy until Christ returns. “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

My Takeaway: Before this day is over, there is a very reasonable chance your faith will be tested by some circumstance. In the moment of your testing: remember, you are not alone!

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

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 Father and I are one.”

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 20, 2026

“The Father and I are one.”

John 10:30

Seeking the life in Christ as our way of life is to open our hearts to Jesus and allow the fullness of God’s love to flow through us. As we learn to love ourselves for God’s sake, we become willing participants in God’s plan to transform our lives. To fully cooperate with God working in us, we want to grasp God’s purpose for our lives. To what end is God working in us? Henri Nouwen, in his book, The Return of The Prodigal Son, answers this question by helping us correctly understand Jesus’ parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15).

"If the only meaning of the story were that people sin but God forgives, I could easily begin to think of my sins as a fine occasion for God to show me forgiveness. There would be no challenge in such an interpretation. I would resign myself to my weaknesses and keep hoping that eventually God would close his eyes to them and let me come home, whatever I did. Such romanticism is not the message of the Gospels. What I am called to make true is that whether I am the younger or elder son, I am the son of my compassionate Father. I am an heir. . . . as son and heir, I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father. . . . Being in the Father's house requires that I make the Father's life my own and become transformed in his image." (Emphasis mine)

My Takeaway: It is God’s work to form Christ within me. It is my work to accept my acceptance and to become a successor, to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. This is seeking the life in Christ as my way of 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.)

 

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.

  

Jesus Reaches Down to Help Us

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 17, 2026

Jesus Reaches Down to Help Us

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 

The most distinguishing mark of the Christian faith is that our God died in our place so that through faith we may live eternally. In no other religion does their deity stand in the place of humanity to receive punishment for the sin of humanity. But our God doesn’t stop there. There is yet another distinguishing characteristic of the Christian faith, one that also separates Christians from every other religion in the world. Because of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Christian lives in Christ and Christ lives in the Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is this truth that enabled the Apostle Paul to proclaim:

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13), and

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

It is because of these truths proclaimed by Paul that Christians can easily embrace the imperative of Romans 12:2. God doesn’t give us an arduous and seemingly impossible task and then stand back to observe and judge how well we do. No, we are not called to do the heavy lifting alone; Jesus bends his back and reaches down to help us.

Jesus told his disciples that “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Now, because the Christian lives in Christ and Christ lives in the Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have a new way of looking at the impossible. God is inviting us to make a leap of faith and believe that through our transformation to become the children of God, the impossible has become possible.

My Takeaway: I sense God is calling all the followers of Jesus to revisit the seemingly impossible chore of dying to the customs and behaviors of this world that are contrary to life in Christ. In the words of Psalm 46:10, God is calling us to “Be still, and know that I am God!” Because with God the impossible has become possible, “let God transform (us) into a new person by changing the way (we) think.”

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.

What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 16, 2026

What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

“And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.”

Mark 10:52

Blind Bartimaeus is an example of someone coming boldly to the God’s throne of grace. (Mark 10:46-52) The blind beggar was sitting beside the road when he heard that Jesus was nearby. He began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and went to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.”

Blind Bartimaeus believed Jesus was the Messiah, that’s why he called out to Jesus as “Son of David.” Bartimaeus answered Jesus using the title “My rabbi” and made his relationship to Jesus personal as he rushed to the throne of grace. He knew Jesus could heal his condition, and Jesus affirmed his faith. 

In Bartimaeus’ culture, a blind beggar was almost totally ignored by society. His coat was his total possession and was all the protection he had from the elements. Bartimaeus “threw aside his coat” when he ran to Jesus. He left his only security behind as he ran to the throne of grace. The closest I have ever been to where Bartimaeus walked is when I was rolled into the operating room for cardiac bypass surgery following my heart attack. I was helpless. I hoped that God would use this procedure to save my life. My only prayer was a line from Psalm 23: “Thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4 KJV)

Other than that experience, I have always had several options in life. When I travel, I have a cell phone and AAA. If the electricity is out, I have a back-up generator. I have family, friends and neighbors I can call. I have plenty of security blankets. I am blessed. I don’t believe God is calling me to throw aside all my security in this world. He is, however, calling me to cast aside anything I am tempted to use to validate my worth and my value as a human being. He is calling me to trust in the sufficiency of His grace, and only His grace to validate my life.

When I cling to things such as wealth, fame, possessions, the opinions of other people, power and influence to validate my humanity, I am a blind beggar. When, like Bartimaeus, I call out to Jesus and throw my security blankets aside, I can instantly see my way to follow Jesus.

My Takeaway: Bartimaeus’ story begs two questions. What security blanket do you need to drop to hear Jesus say, “What do you want me to do for you?”  And, if you hear his question, how do you respond to Jesus?

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.