Wounded Healers

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

NOTE: Beginning Monday, March 30, 2026, I will pause these meditations on Staying in the Grace for Today and begin a seven-day series for Holy Week, and Easter Sunday. Meditations on Staying in the Grace for Today will resume on April 6, 2026.

March 27, 2026 

Wounded Healers

“But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

    and by his wounds we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5 (NIV) 

The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews tells us that when “Christ came into the world he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer” (Hebrews 10:5). Thus, Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me” (Luke 22:19b). I read an article recently that said a person understands themselves in terms of their body image. That is, what a person feels about their body and its worth is what they feel about themselves. Jesus must have had a pretty good self-image since he gave his body as a sacrifice for the entire world.

I suspect most people struggle with their body image. We see ourselves as too heavy, or not heavy enough, not muscular enough, too tall or too short. Some of us have scars that are hard to look upon. The Word of the Lord calls us to look at our bodies in a different light. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak unto God the same words Jesus spoke to God, “You have given me a body to offer.” We are not called to sacrifice our bodies for the sins of the world, but we are called to take our redeemed bodies and feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, invite the stranger into our home, cloth the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoners. (Matthew 25:35-36)

Jesus’ body was pierced, crushed and wounded to heal our sin-sickness and bring us into peace with God. Now we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus as our lives are hidden with God in Christ Jesus. All that remains is for us to respond to God with the same words Jesus spoke to his Father, “I have come to do your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7).

My Takeaway: We are wounded people. As we receive appropriate care for our wounds, and as we allow Jesus to heal our wounds, we can become wounded healers, vessels of grace to be used by Jesus to bring healing to others.

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.

 

Putting on Christ

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

March 26, 2026

Putting on Christ

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20 

To become a Christian is to enter an altogether new identity, or as the Apostle Paul puts it, “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). In the verse quoted above, Galatians 2:20, Paul reveals that ‘putting on Christ’ is a matter of making a conscious decision to ignore our natural instincts and choose to live our life by trusting Jesus to show us a new way to live. Paul pointed to this new way of living when he wrote to his friends in Rome,

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. (Romans 7:6b)

Jesus modeled life lived as a child of God, and as we are Christianoi, the people of Christ, he will empower us to do the same.

A good spiritual discipline is to pick one of the four Gospels and read it with the goal of discerning as many personality characteristics of Jesus as you can. After you have made your list, study it with the thought that Jesus wants you to embody those characteristics in your life; this is putting on Christ. A caveat: it is easier to identify the characteristics than it is to make them your own. This is because God wants to completely transform our lives, which means a complete reorientation of how we relate to God, ourselves and to other people. This is also why Paul used such hyperbole to describe how he ignored his flesh and trusted in Jesus instead: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. . . “

Some of the characteristics I have noted in Jesus’ personality include his acceptance of his feelings, simplicity of conversation, intimacy with his Abba, and humble obedience to his Abba’s will. Choosing to let God work these characteristics into our lives is choosing to take the road less traveled.

My Takeaway: Taking this road less traveled means reaffirming our choice, sometimes moment by moment. With each reaffirmation, we want to remember that ultimately “God is working in (us), giving (us) the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). This truth inspired Paul to affirm, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

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.

 

Benediction

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

March 25, 2026

Benediction

“This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”

Matthew 3:17 (MSG)

The word benediction literally means, to say good things. Our model for a benediction in our spiritual lives is the voice of God speaking to Jesus after he was baptized by John:

“The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life” (Matthew 3:16-17 MSG).

Through this benediction God commissioned Jesus for his ministry on earth.

Jesus’ ministry and the New Testament letters make known to us that this benediction is not only for Jesus but also for all who follow him.  Noted theologian and scholar Bishop N.T. Wright says that at the heart of the gospel proclaimed by the Apostle Paul is the fact that “what is true for the Messiah is true of his people.” Wright explains this truth this way:

“the Messiah died, so his people die in him, sharing his suffering; the Messiah rose again, so his people rise again in him, knowing the power of the resurrection to comfort and heal, already in present time, and cherishing the hope that one day they will be given new, resurrection bodies like the one the Messiah himself has now” (Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone 2 Corinthians (London, SPCK) p.4).

Do you honestly believe that what is true of Jesus is true for you? I know it is a huge leap of faith to believe this Good News, but this is the message of scripture. God’s mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:23) and every morning God’s speaks afresh to you, ““This is my child, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”

My Takeaway: Let’s take the leap of faith today and choose to live in God’s benediction for us! If we do, I bet we 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.

Free to Love

 

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

March 24, 2026

Free to Love

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

John 13:34

God created us with a seemingly insatiable need for love, acceptance and a sense of self-worth. These needs seem insatiable because we are in the grips of cultural conditioning that teaches us to meet our needs out of our own abilities and strength, through performance-based acceptance, and through our own accumulation of successes. Despite our best efforts, we can never quite get to the place where we can rest, and thus we continue to strive to meet our needs. Our quest is like trying to quench our thirst by drinking sea water. Eventually we come to the place where we cry out with the Apostle Paul, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life . . .” (Romans 7:24). When we do we will come to the same conclusion as Paul, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25).

The answers for meeting our needs for love, acceptance and worth are found in this truth:

Until you know who you are in Christ, you cannot love; you can only take.

Jesus is free to love us unconditionally because he is not dependent on our love. His needs for love, acceptance and worth are fully satisfied by God’s love for him. Until we know that in Christ, we are the beloved child of God, with whom He is delighted and upon whom His favor rests, we will always try to take from the persons and events in our lives anything that we think will satisfy our need for love.

Take time to consider the driving ambition in your profession and avocations. Consider your interpersonal relationships. In what ways are you dependent on them? How often are your words carefully crafted to curry favor with others? The more we are dependent on the praise of others, the more we strive to avoid criticism or rejection by others, the less we are resting in God’s unconditional love for us.

My Takeaway: The converse is just as true. The more we learn to rest in God’s never-ending love and acceptance of us, the less dependent we become on other people to satisfy our needs and the more we become free to love.

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.

 

Unfinished Business

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

March 20, 2026

Unfinished Business

Jesus said,

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34a 

Why did Jesus extend forgiveness to those who were murdering him? The murderers neither asked for, nor apparently wanted his forgiveness; in the very next verse we learn the soldiers started gambling for his garments. I have long assumed Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness was an indication that he was so much a better person than those gathered at his feet. Unquestionably that is true, but there was so much more at work in Jesus’ prayer.

Jesus was practicing what he preached; he was praying for his enemies. He also modeled for us the importance of tending to all the unfinished business in our lives. When we have been hurt by others, our offer of forgiveness is liberating. Our forgiveness of others enables us to move on with our lives. So also, when we have sinned against others, when we seek forgiveness, we are free to move on with our lives. However, our unwillingness to forgive, or to seek forgiveness, keeps us bound in chains to our past.

My Takeaway: Jesus prayed for those who nailed him to the cross. That prayer set him free to offer another prayer a few hours later, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46a NRSV).

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.

Freedom

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

March 23, 2026

Freedom

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

John 8:36 

“For freedom Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1a NRSV). Jesus has set us free from sin and free for life as his followers. By his death, resurrection and ascension, he has set us free from sin and death: “And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2). This freedom from sin and death makes possible our relationship with God. We get to be in an everlasting right relationship with our Abba Father because Jesus has set us free from the sin that had separated us from God.

When Jesus walked on earth, He was truly free. His freedom was rooted in His belief that He indeed was the beloved child of God. He knew in the very depths of His being that He belonged to God before He was born, that he was sent into the world to inaugurate God’s New Creation, and that when His mission was completed, He would return to God His Father. This abiding belief in His core identity set Him free to fulfill God’s purpose.

We too, as the followers of Jesus, are asked by God to accept our core identity as His beloved children with whom He is delighted and upon whom His favor rests. In our acceptance of God’s love, we are set free to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives without regard to popular acclaim, or the lack thereof.

My Takeaway: I have found the following prayer helpful in ordering my life as one who has been set free:

O Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth;

I worship you. With all angels and saints I adore you.

I acknowledge you to be my Creator and my God.

I render to you the reverence of my being and my life.

I am not my own. I am yours.

By creation and redemption I am yours.

I will devote myself to your service this day and forever.

O Lord, grant grace for this I pray

in the name of my Savior, Christ Jesus.

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.

Breathing the Holy Spirit

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

March 19, 2026

Breathing the Holy Spirit

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Romans 8:14 

Jesus promised his followers that the Holy Spirit would come to them. For the followers of Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit within us is as intimate as the very air we breathe. We are not usually aware of our own breathing, unless something is wrong. In the same manner, the Holy Spirit is the active breath of God within us. It is the Holy Spirit who prays for us when we don’t know how, or when to pray. We may not be aware of His prayers for us, but God is faithful and fulfills His promises to us, regardless of whether we realize His presence.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to produce Godly fruit within us; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We may not be aware of the Holy Spirit’s work for us and within us; even so, the Holy Spirit labors to form Christ within us.

There are disciplines you can practice that help you become aware of your own breathing. These disciplines help you learn to control your breathing and learn to breathe deeply. The spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation and devotion to God’s Word will help you become aware of the Holy Spirit within you.

My Takeaway: Practice these disciplines, and you will come to the place where you can sing, with great passion and conviction, “This is the air I breathe, His holy presence living in me.” (Breathe, ©1995 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing, Words and Music by Marie Barnett)

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.