You Will Receive a Crown

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

February 4, 2026

You Will Receive a Crown

And when the Great Shepherd appears,

you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.

1 Peter 5:4 

When I was a junior, or maybe a senior, in High School I entered the American Legion Oratorical contest. After the speeches were made, I was told I had won the contest. The next day the school counselor came to my homeroom and told me a mistake had been made in the tabulations after the speeches. I came in second place. The metal I received sits in a container on my dresser, seldom seeing the light of day these sixty plus years later.

But my glorious Savior has promised me something eternally greater than my second-place metal; “a crown of never-ending glory and honor.”

In the meantime, as I wait for my Great Shepherd to appear, I am rewarded each day with living in His glorious presence. When my wife, Cheryl, and I talk with others about our life, we always say, we are living in the FOG. The FOG – the Favor of God. For me, my primary core value that keeps me in God’s favor is daily affirming, my life is not my own. I belong to God. By creation and redemption, I belong to God.

Like all people, I have a need to be loved, to be accepted, and to have a sense that my life matters. My Great Shepherd gave His life for me while I was yet a sinner. That is love. He accepts me as His friend, as His brother. That is true acceptance. There is no greater sense of self-esteem, a sense that our life matters, than affirming I am a child of God! And my God is for me! (Psalm 56)

My Takeaway: As we wait for His glorious appearance, let us hold fast to his enduring promise, “for thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4) This promise keeps me in God’s grace for today.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

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

 

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

 

Copyright © 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.

To Live Among Us

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

February 3, 2026

 

To Live Among Us

The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem,

for I am coming to live among you.

Zechariah 2:10 

The Gospel of John proclaims the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy:

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. (John 1:14)

Jesus is the Word. When he became human, He was still King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s. He could have retained His royal privilege, but the Apostle Paul tells us,

Though he was God,

    he did not think of equality with God

    as something to cling to.

 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

    he took the humble position of a slave

    and was born as a human being.

Philippians 2:6-7 

Our King of Kings, our Lord of Lord’s became one of us. He lived among people like us. He still dwells among us, and within us. Jesus came to be among us for all eternity. Jesus came to befriend sinners.

My Takeaway: How can we stay in God’s grace for today? By keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Holy One who came to live among us. Perhaps our greatest spiritual exercise is to meditate on the reality of the actual presence of Christ with us.

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.

 

 

Don’t Stop

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

February 2, 2026

Don’t Stop

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9 (NRSV)

The Apostle Paul is affirming one of the greatest attributes of the first century church: patience. Paul believed that by trusting in God, the followers of Jesus should be patient—not trying to control events, not anxious or in a hurry.

As we rest in the assurance that God is at work within us (Philippians 2:13), we can patiently trust that God will form the life of the Beatitudes and the life of love that Paul celebrates in 1 Corinthians 13 within us. Paul calls us to fully embrace a patient lifestyle:

“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 

Our patience is rooted in God’s character; God is patient and is working relentlessly across time to accomplish his mission. The heart of patience is revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus’s life and teaching demonstrate what patience means and calls us who follow him to a patient lifestyle that participates in God’s mission. Patience is hopeful; it entrusts the future confidently to God. Therefore, we can joyfully embrace Paul’s encouragement: “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NRSV).

My Takeaway: As we confidently trust today and our future to God, we will find ourselves secure in God’s grace for today, and 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 © 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.

He Was Compassionate

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 30, 2026

He Was Compassionate

So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Mark 6:32,34

There are two ways of our culture that are opposed to the ways of God. The first is Performance-Based Acceptance. How we perform may be essential to our acceptance into an athletic Hall of Fame, or world class orchestra, but it is not the way of our spiritual life. Our right-standing with God is based on what Jesus did for us, not what we think we can do to please God or earn our place with Him. Regrettably, Performance-Based Acceptance has become the foundation of many personal relationships.

Secondly, our culture is very transactional. If we do something for someone, they feel compelled to return the favor. If we are gracious to someone, we expect them to return the favor. When we don’t get what we expect in return, we are miffed.

Jesus wanted peace and quiet. The crowds followed him. Jesus wasn’t miffed. He was compassionate. He taught them and he healed them, and he would feed them. I wonder how many thanked Him for their healing, or the wisdom he imparted to them, or for the abundant meal He provided? I suspect times haven’t changed much, so not many. Sometime later, some of them might have been in the crowd in Jerusalem calling for his blood. Even so, Jesus was compassionate. He taught them, and he healed them, and he fed them.

My Takeaway: I want my relationships to arise out of my life in Christ, not from the ways of the culture. I want to grow to be as compassionate as is my Lord 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.

 

A Heart at Peace

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 29, 2026

A Heart at Peace

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

James 3:17 

In discussing the wisdom God gives to his people, James mentions several attributes of wisdom: pure, peace loving, gentle, humble, merciful, flowing from good deeds, impartial, and sincere. The wisdom James describes is synonymous with Jesus.

Jesus has a peaceful heart. When the disciples fretted over how to feed to crowds, Jesus thanked God for the problem, then fed the people. When the disciples feared for their lives as their boat was caught up in a storm, Jesus slept. Peter drew a sword to fight the soldiers. Jesus lifted his hand to heal. Jesus’ heart was at peace.

James’ description of God’s wisdom can serve as a litmus test in our lives. How do we react when we encounter unexpected problems? Do we fret or do we pray? When faced with danger do we shout in fear, like the disciples did in the boat? When people all around us are shouting to advocate for policies that we detest, do we shout back or maybe even raise our fists? Jesus modeled the difference between reacting and responding. When we react, we become part of the problem. When we respond with gentleness, mercy and humility we bring healing to the problem.

My Takeaway: I may come across as naïve advocating for our gentleness, mercy and humility in a growing partisan and hostile culture. Maybe so, but I truly long for a heart at peace. I believe a heart at peace will stay firmly in God’s grace for today.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

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

 

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

 

Copyright © 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 Healing of Veronica

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 28, 2026

The Healing of Veronica

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Mark 5:34

At the end of chapter four, Jesus challenged his disciples to reach for greater faith. Here in chapter five, Mark reveals the faith Jesus is longing for his followers to embrace. I find it interesting that this faith is modeled by a person who was not His disciple, at least not publicly following Him.

The early church wanted the woman with the bleeding problem in Mark 5:25-34 to be remembered always. They gave her the name of Veronica, and in the devotional exercise, The Stations of the Cross, she is the woman who wipes Jesus’ face at station six.

Veronica’s faith calls her to take huge risks. She was a woman reaching out to touch a man, The Teacher, in a public place, and because of her condition, she was deemed an unclean person.  But she reaches out and touches Jesus because he is her only hope.

Jesus tells Veronica that it was her faith that made her well. I’ve read that Corrie ten Boom lived by the axiom: you will never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. For Veronica, her only hope was in Jesus. Have you ever been there? I have. As I am writing this, I remember when I was riding in an ambulance to a hospital after suffering a heart attack. The heart attack occurred just five days after my wife’s cancer surgery. I was in shock. Then the Holy Spirit used a comment by the EMT in the ambulance to remind me I wasn’t alone. Although I still had much uncertainty, and it would be a few more days before I was scheduled for open heart surgery, all fear was gone. I could affirm that I was a child of God, and God was for me.

My Takeaway: I am blessed to have a comfortable life. I have friends, family, a full pantry, and savings and credit sufficient to meet normal contingencies. This can also be a bit of a curse, because if I can meet all my needs, I don’t need a lot of faith. God save me from such a delusion. Spiritually, I stand in Veronica’s shoes. We all do. Jesus is our only eternal hope.

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.

 

 

God Is for Me

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

January 27, 2026

God Is for Me

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:39 

Paul began this section of his letter to the Romans with, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” He ended this section by affirming that because we belong to Jesus, nothing in all of creation has the power to separate us from the love of God. If you are like me, there have been times when you didn’t feel close to God, when you doubted that God could love you. These are feelings of our old nature; they are not the truth of God. Over and against these ungodly feelings the anthem of the Christian rings out, “I am a child of God and God is for me.”

Often, there is a longing in my heart, Maranatha; Come Lord Jesus. Yes, I long for Christ to come in Final Victory to heal every heart and to right every wrong. Oh, the glory to live in the wonderful dominion where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, “Jesus is Lord.” In that dominion, our old nature will be dead and gone. Our new nature will live eternally with God, our Creator and Redeemer.

But that dominion is then and here I am, in this present age, this here and now. Even so, “I am a child of God and God is for me, and nothing, NOTHING can separate me from God’s love for me in Christ Jesus.

My Takeaway: Today I want to stay in God’s grace, His love for me, and I pray,

O Lord, our Lord,

how excellent is Thy name in all the earth;

I worship Thee.

With all angels and saints I adore Thee.

I acknowledge Thee to be by Creator and my God.

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.

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.)

 

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.