Seeking the Life in Christ

Monday, August 31, 2026

Please God, Not People

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 31, 2026

Please God, Not People

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

Sarah Young in her devotion, Jesus Calling, encourages us to pause before responding to people or situations, thus giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to lead us. This is perhaps the greatest spiritual discipline: the art of pausing and listening for the still small voice of God. It is this spiritual discipline that allows us to bridge the gap between the holiness of our heart and the holiness we seek in our life. Holiness of heart is the reality of the very presence of Christ within us. Holiness of life is the goal of those seeking to make the life in Christ their way of life. It is the living out in the world the truth that “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28a).

Why is this spiritual discipline of pausing to listen so vitally important? Because we all put on different faces and use different words depending on where we are and with whom we are in the presence. We all suffer a bit with split personalities. Part of our personality may be extremely passionate about our favorite sports team, or our political preferences, or a dozen other interests we hold dear. Our personalities are passionate about our family and passionate about our faith and our place of worship and service. The Apostle Paul knew that God examines the motives of our hearts; thus, he sought to live his life by the sole purpose of pleasing God, not people.

Can we authentically emulate Paul’s example in our lives today? I think so. I believe Jesus is OK with my joy supporting my favorite teams. Jesus likes it that I am passionate about world affairs and National politics. Jesus is pleased that I am head over heels in love with my wife. His desire for me is that his life would be made visible in my words and actions on all these fronts. Can I cheer on my team and honor God with my words? Can I express my passion about the world and honor God with my words? Can my wife see Christ in my words and actions toward her?

My Takeaway: I haven’t yet, in the words of John Wesley, gone on to perfection, so I join my voice with Saint Paul: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). This collect for purity helps me stay focused on my goal:

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Ghost, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy Holy Name; through Christ our 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.

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 28, 2026

Go and Do Likewise

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 28, 2026

Go and Do Likewise

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.

Romans 13:8a

Our churches today have almost as much contention as there are in the halls of Congress. When two people are contending, the issue is always the same: who has control or power. For the Christian, the issue of contending is a bit of a conundrum. The danger of contention in the church is that it causes disharmony, and the unity of the Body of Christ is breeched. Jesus told his followers, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). I believe the decline of the Christian church in America can be directly traced to the lack of respect, the lack of unity within churches, and among the various denominations and independent churches. Without love, we have no proof we are the disciples of Jesus; thus, the world ignores our witness.

If two people are contending over an issue, the fix is easy. Just one of them must stop contending. The conundrum is in knowing when to walk away. It has been my experience that the issues that internally divide churches, as well as those that divide denominations, are for the most part minuscule in comparison to our grand mission to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Yet the grand deceiver tempts us to make mountains out of the mole hills, and tragically, so many individuals, and churches, yield to this temptation.

John Wesley, the Methodist, was confronted by Simeon, a devoted Calvinist. Simeon believed he needed to break fellowship with Wesley, but first Simeon asked him a few questions.

“Pray, Sir, do you feel that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?” Wesley: “Yes, I do indeed.” “Do you look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?” Wesley: “Yes, solely through Christ.” Simeon: “But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?” Wesley: “No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.” Simeon: “What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?” Wesley: “Yes, altogether.” Simeon: “And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?” Wesley: “Yes, I have no hope but in Him.”

Simeon then affirmed that Wesley’s faith mirrored his own and said, “Instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree."

My Takeaway: “Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b).

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

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

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Spreading Scriptural Holiness

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 27, 2026

Spreading Scriptural Holiness

The LORD is in his holy temple;

the LORD is on his heavenly throne.

Psalm 11:4a

In the ebb and flow of life, we are always in one of three places: we are about to enter a crisis; or we are in the midst of a crisis; or we are coming out of a crisis. When we encounter a crisis, our sense of order is upended. Sometimes the main consequence of the crisis is simply inconvenience, such as when our car breaks down. Other times, there are life altering consequences. Henry Blackby, in his book, Experiencing God, notes that these problem situations are always accompanied by a crisis of belief because, for the Christian, what you do next reveals what you truly believe about God.

In Psalm 11, David feels as though the very fabric, the foundation of his society had been torn asunder. David was in a crisis as he lived through a time when he was never sure who his friends were and who was a spy for those seeking to destroy him. I experienced a small taste of this when I was visiting churches in Cuba, as the government routinely sent spies into the congregations.

In Psalm 11, David responds to the apparent crumbling foundations of society by remembering that God’s throne is eternal in the heavens and will never crumble or decay. David trusted that God would come and judge the world, and the righteous would be vindicated. David believed such trust called forth a commitment to live for God; “For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.” (Psalm 11:7).

My Takeaway: If we take inspiration from David’s psalm, I believe a commitment to live out John Wesley’s mission statement is an appropriate response: “We have no other business than to save souls and spread scriptural holiness across the land.”

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

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

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

The Lord Is King Forever

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 26, 2026

The Lord Is King Forever

The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

Psalm 10:16

In the Hebrew Bible, Psalms 9 and 10 are combined as one psalm. Thus, the foundation of praising God with “all my heart” continues. To praise and pray in this way is indicative of a lively, personal relationship with the LORD.

Too many Christians live their lives as though the church is a memorial to Jesus Christ. They tend to live as though the church is a place to remember Jesus’ life and the things he did and spoke. Jesus wants more than just to be remembered; he wants a lively, personal relationship with each of his followers. In her devotion, Jesus Calling, Sarah Young encourages us to pause before responding to people or situations, thus giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to lead us. When we don’t wait upon the Lord, when we react with hasty words and actions, we are living as though we do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. An atheist does not believe in God and thus seeks to solve their problems out of their own wisdom, strength and resources. Some people truly believe in God, but they live as though they are totally responsible for the course of their life. They function as an atheist because they are not living as though they expect God to act in their life.

As Christians, we affirm God as personally present in our life, a living Spirit. With nothing between us and God, our faces shine with the brightness of His face. We are transfigured, much like the Messiah, and our lives gradually become brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him. (See 2 Corinthians 3: 16-18 The Message)

My Takeaway: If your heart resonates with that affirmation from Second Corinthians, you can appreciate the lament of the psalmist. He is surrounded by atheists; nevertheless, his hope is in the LORD. Today is a good day to make a complete list of your struggles. What issues are you facing? How are your adversaries taking advantage of you? Now, with your list in hand, make up your mind to pray with the psalmist: “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Psalm 10:17).

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

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

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

My Life Does Not Belong to Me

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 25, 2026

My Life Does Not Belong to Me

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1-2

Psalm 9, in its original form, was written in the acrostic poetic form with the first verse beginning with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each succeeding verse began with the next letter in the alphabet. Knowing this helps me appreciate both the poem and its author. This message was important to the author, and he carefully crafted his poem, in form and content, to communicate his message.

The foundation of Old Testament theology was based on a real experience of God’s presence and power, coupled with a belief that one day God was going to restore the entire world to its original created order. The people of Israel longed for the coming Day of the Lord, when God’s mercy and justice would freely flow and everything would be made right. Psalm 9 is an expression of this longing for justice. This longing was carried forth in the New Covenant where God’s people still pray for God’s Kingdom to come, God’s will to be done, on earth as in heaven.

Verse one sets the tone of the psalm and is helpful in showing us how to pray for the coming reign of Christ on earth:

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

My Takeaway: To pray with my whole heart is to recall that my life does not belong to me. My life belongs to God. By creation and redemption, my life, my heart, belong to God. And my life in God is not to be a secret. The reality of God’s love for me overflows from my heart, and I cannot help but tell of all the marvelous things the LORD has done.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

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

Monday, August 24, 2026

Practice the Presence

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 24, 2026

Practice the Presence

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

I Kings 8:23

A teacher was asked by his student why he was so devoted to the teachings of Saint Francis Assisi. “Because he allowed Jesus Christ to become transparent in his personality,” he replied. Francis brought about a religious revolution in thirteenth-century Europe, and his substantial influence on the followers of Christ reaches all the way to the twenty-first century. Why? Because as the teacher noted, Francis personified the Apostle Paul’s witness: “For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11 NRSV).

While we affirm that both Paul and Francis gave God first claim on their time, attention, love and interests, we also may shrink back a bit from their example. Both Paul and Francis spent weeks, and often months in prayer; how are we to follow their example? A mystery of prayer is that we do not have to retreat to our cave for time completely alone and far away from our culture’s countless ways to interrupt our time with God. Centering prayer is a way of conversing with God in the secret places of our heart while the world around us marches on.

We can learn to focus on Christ in the center of our being while we are driving, preparing a meal, sitting in a committee meeting, playing a round of golf or sets of tennis, and even while our team is driving for their winning touchdown. This centering on Jesus does not preclude our being fully present to others, or the other activities in which we are engaged, such as my writing of this meditation on a foggy mountain morning.

My Takeaway: Centering on Jesus in the secret place in our heart is an art, and a skill that we can learn. It takes practice and resolve not to give up. It can become our discipline, our habit, and we can learn to dwell in that special place Brother Lawrence, another mighty man of God, described as “the practice of the presence of God.” The first step toward this centering prayer is to begin pausing, several times each day and focusing your awareness of the reality of Christ’s presence in the secret places in your heart.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

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

Friday, August 21, 2026

Holy Spirit Awareness

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 21, 2026

Holy Spirit Awareness

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

Acts 4:32

The verse quoted above is at the close of Acts 4 and is a summary of the lifestyle of the first Christian church in Jerusalem. Their life together is an example of the goal that Dietrich Bonhoeffer set for his disciples. Bonhoeffer noted that Satan’s goal is to disrupt the harmony and unity of the church. Satan’s desire for Christians is what Saint Augustine described as incurvatus in se, which basically translates as curved in on ourselves. When we live in ego-centric or self-centered ways, we are destructive in our Christian communities. When we live for ourselves, our lives are curved inward as opposed to the life God intended for us, which is life lived with an outward focus. This outward focus, a life of openness and willing self-sacrifice for the good of others, is a blessing to our communities and a pleasing aroma to God.

Augustine noted that incurvatus in se is the very essence of original sin. As such, we need to look to the Holy Spirit daily for discernment of the ways we are still curved in on ourselves. We also look to the Holy Spirit for the power to say yes when the Spirit motivates us to action, and to say no to our bent toward self-gratification.

My Takeaway: Our culture celebrates self-awareness, self-motivation and taking the initiative. God celebrates our Holy Spirit awareness, our Holy Spirit motivation and our willingness to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Be patient and allow God to develop your discerning heart, and He will teach you how to do what is right, how to love mercy, and how to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

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

Monday, August 31, 2026

Please God, Not People

Friday, August 28, 2026

Go and Do Likewise

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Spreading Scriptural Holiness

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

The Lord Is King Forever

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

My Life Does Not Belong to Me

Monday, August 24, 2026

Practice the Presence

Friday, August 21, 2026

Holy Spirit Awareness

Seeking the Life in Christ

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