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.

But Who Do You Say I Am?

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 15, 2026

But Who Do You Say I Am?

We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:3 

The Apostle John was not boasting of his personal relationship with Jesus. His invitation to share in fellowship was based on one of the greatest mysteries, and one of the greatest blessings, of the Christian faith. While John did, in fact, walk and talk with Jesus face to face, by faith, the followers of Jesus may enjoy a communion with Jesus just as intimate as did the original disciples.

My knowledge of Jesus came first from what I heard from others who knew him. Then I turned to scripture, and my knowledge about Jesus increased. Then one day, I heard Jesus’ question in scripture as though he was standing right next to me: “But who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). The first time I had this experience, I think I responded with the words of Peter in scripture, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). On other occasions, I responded to Jesus with words I had heard from a pulpit, or from another person. But then came the day when the words of Peter and of others seemed somehow inadequate; they were the words of others, not my words. Praise God! On that special day, Jesus called me unto himself. From now on, when I speak of Jesus, I use my own personal words because like John, I have spoken to Jesus, and I have heard Jesus speak to me.

My Takeaway: If you haven’t had an experience of hearing Jesus, ask you, “But who do you say I am?” – hold on, your day is coming. In the meantime, you can begin preparing your answer. Imagine if a young child asked you, “Who is Jesus to you?” How would you answer?

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.

Is He Personal to You?

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 14, 2026

Is He Personal to You?

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NRSV). 

For a long time, Paul’s introductory statement to 1 Corinthians troubled me. It seems like such a crass way to announce the bedrock of his teaching and preaching in Corinth. The unnamed woman in Luke 7 helped me grasp the depth and intimacy of Paul’s statement.

Jesus concludes his meal at Simon the Pharisee’s house with his announcement, “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love” (Luke 7:47a). This woman’s love and adoration for Jesus was her expression of gratitude for his forgiving touch. Can you imagine how this personal relationship with Jesus gripped her heart as she watched him hanging from the cross? For her, the one hanging on the cross is the one who loved her and forgave her.

Paul’s personal experience of Jesus is similar. Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus. There Saul was held accountable for persecuting Jesus, but Jesus wasn’t judging Saul and kicking him to the curb. Jesus gave Saul a new name, and Paul was consecrated and commissioned as the Apostle to the Gentiles. For Paul, the one who was crucified is the one who loved him, forgave him and commissioned him.

My Takeaway: I have learned to claim Paul’s words to the Corinthians as an expression of my own devotion to Jesus: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NRSV). For me, the one who was crucified is the one who made me what I am by his grace. His grace is personal to me. As he was to the woman at Jesus’ feet in Simon’s house, and to Paul, the one who was crucified is very personal to me.

Is he personal to 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 © 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 Land of Open Eyes and Light Divine

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 13, 2026

The Land of Open Eyes and Light Divine

“I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.”

Acts 26:17b-18

In Saint Paul’s stunning encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he heard Jesus say the words quoted above from Acts 26. As the followers of Jesus, we too are called to hear these same words. We too are sent by Jesus to the people of the world “to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”

Our first step is to appropriate King David’s prayer, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow; “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”  (Psalm 51: 7, 10). We can’t open the eyes of others unless our eyes are first open. We can’t turn others from darkness to light unless we are walking in the light, and we can’t lead others to become set apart by faith until we are first set apart by faith in the risen Christ.

Being set apart by faith means we are living by faith, rather than seeking to justify our right-standing with God through a performance-based-acceptance lifestyle. We all are a work in progress, and while we may agree with John Wesley that we are going on to perfection, we know we haven’t yet arrived at that destination. But we have begun our journey, and along our trail we look for markers to indicate our progress toward the land of open eyes and light divine.

Here are a few of the markers I look for on my journey. Is my life more spacious, or is it too full to allow room for others? Is my attitude toward others more hospitable or critical? Do I tend to be more compassionate or judgmental toward the failures I see in others? My judgmental and critical attitude towards others is the revelation of my judgmental and critical attitude toward myself. When I become thus aware, I know I need to spend time contemplating the furious longing of God for me, because in the land of open eyes and light divine, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me” (Song of Solomon 7:10).

My Takeaway: “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.” This new way of living in the Spirit will lead us progressively toward the land of open eyes and light divine.

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.

 

Teach Me Wisdom in My Secret Heart

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 10, 2026

Teach Me Wisdom in My Secret Heart

You desire truth in the inward being;

    therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Psalm 51:6 NRSV

I think King David’s prose in Psalm 51, one of the Seven Penitential Psalms, is some of the most beautiful and profound in the entire Bible. Verses such as seven and ten have captivated souls for generations: “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow; and “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” I appreciate Psalm 51 for its honesty and self-reflection. It is a model of an authentic prayer that seeks God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing. Psalm 51 is so very poignant because of the depth of King David’s sin, and the harm he caused through his adultery with Bathsheba. (See 2 Samuel 11-12) If God’s mercy and forgiveness is sufficient to cleanse, renew and restore David, can there be anything in my life that is beyond God’s capacity to forgive?

However, as a child of God, I must not just relish in David’s prose; I want to make his prose become the cry of my heart. I am motivated toward this goal for two reasons. First, to deny my failures creates a false image of me, one that will not attract others to the Kingdom of God. Secondly, my sins are every bit as repugnant to the holiness of God as were David’s. I stand in need of forgiveness, cleansing, renewal and restoration every bit as much as David.

My Takeaway: “Go and sin no more” Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11). Sadly, although she may have desired Jesus’ words to be her goal, the reality of life is that she did sin again. So did David. So do I. Forgiveness, cleansing, renewal and restoration are not once and no more experiences with God. Forgiveness, cleansing, renewal and restoration are the natural rhythm of daily life for those seeking the life in Christ as their 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.

Allow God to Make It Redemptive

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 9, 2026

Allow God to Make It Redemptive

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:10 

In the glorious chapter four of Second Corinthians, Paul affirms that we are fragile human beings. We are fragile both in our physical bodies, and in our human emotions. Within our human weakness, clay jars or earthen vessels is the metaphor Paul uses in verse seven, the trials and tribulations of life assail us; but even though we may get knocked down, we are not destroyed. God uses the difficulties of our lives in a redemptive way so that, “Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:10).

Jesus embraced the symbol of his brokenness, the cross, and made it redemptive for all humankind. We too are invited by God to embrace our brokenness and thus allow God to make it redemptive to those we encounter. How do we do this? I suggest that you make a list of all the places you are broken.

Begin with the places where your body is broken and scarred. Then list the ways your heart has been broken. Are there any broken relationships in your life? If so, list them. What about your mind? Some may experience more difficulty in accessing our memory; if this includes you, add this to your list. For many, the ways the world, and even our own nation seem to be turning against people of faith, and this can affect our spirit. Are you becoming less hopeful and more cynical? If so, add your broken spirit to your list.

My Takeaway: Prayerfully, submit your list to God and ask for His blessing:

“Loving Father, please bless my brokenness for my purification and sanctification, and may my brokenness be used by you for your redemptive purposes. 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.

The Blessing That Sustains

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

April 8, 2026

The Blessing That Sustains

And a voice from heaven said,

“You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Mark 1:11 

For three years following his baptism, Jesus called disciples and announced the coming of God’s Kingdom. Throughout his journeys, whether he was receiving praise or abuse, he held onto the blessing he had received from his Father. That blessing sustained him from the Jordan River to the wilderness, from Jerusalem to Galilee and down to Jericho. That blessing sustained him in the Garden of Gethsemane, before the Chief Priest and Pontius Pilate, and on Golgotha Hill.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is that each one of the followers of Jesus receives that very same blessing from our Heavenly Father. You are the beloved son, the beloved daughter of God, with whom God is delighted and upon whom His favor rests. It is God’s plan that His blessing sustains you through all the twists and turns of your life. May I suggest a spiritual discipline of incorporating this blessing into your daily prayers?

Each morning as you give God thanks for the gift of a new day, thank Him for choosing you to be his beloved child. Thank Him for taking delight in you and for giving you His favor for the coming day. At noon time, as you give thanks for your lunch, again give your Heavenly Father thanks for your blessing. Also include thanks for your divine blessing at your evening meal, and again as you prepare to take your nightly rest.

My Takeaway: Maintain this discipline until you can journey through each day absolutely persuaded that you are God’s chosen and His favor rests upon 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 © 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.