Seeking the Life in Christ

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Jesus’ Passion for My Brokenness

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

May 12, 2026

Jesus’ Passion for My Brokenness

“For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

Colossians 1:19-20

The way of weakness was the way of the Cross for God in Christ Jesus. This is the price God paid to release me and you from the oppression of sin, brokenness and death. Jesus wants me to see that in my brokenness, my weakness, he is strong. It is when I embrace my brokenness that I can identify with Christ and with others. Jesus wants me to identify with the pain of others, not relieve it; he wants me to care for others, not try and fix them.

As I learn to have patience in my brokenness, Jesus’ Word of Grace reminds me that my brokenness is not my true identify. I am what I am by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10), not by my own humiliating definitions. I am fully known yet totally justified by faith through grace. Nothing, neither my outward actions, nor my inner feelings, can diminish the worth given to me in the grace of God.

My Takeaway: In the late 1960’s, Glenn Turner founded his company, Dare to Be Great. One of the catch phrases that came out of his multi-level marketing company was, “Fake it until you make it.” Regrettably, many people go through life living by that motto. Brennan Manning says God loves us unconditionally, just as we are, not as we should be, because none of us are as we should be. However, too many of us try to live by the notion of what we should be, as defined by world culture; we are trying to fake it until we make it. Lord have mercy! Christ has already made it within 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.

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.

Monday, May 11, 2026

The Way of Weakness

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

May 11, 2026

The Way of Weakness

“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

Isaiah 53:7

In my previous meditation, Camp Patience, I discussed the wonder of God’s acceptance of me in the light of my sins. Today’s text reveals the immeasurable depth of God’s acceptance.

At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, all the people of Israel knew they desperately needed help to end their oppression under the yoke of Roman occupation. They all knew it was a perfect time for God’s Messiah to come and save them. However, they failed to grasp God’s vision of a saving Messiah. Jesus tried to tell them, but his words seemed incomprehensible to them.

When Jesus affirmed to his disciples that he was God’s Messiah, they immediately had a vision of a great army waiting for their King to lead them into battle. However, instead of a mighty King dressed in battle armor and riding a big horse, a humble shepherd walks to the head of the army. Not only does this shepherd have no armor and no weapon, but he also expects his army to dismount, remove their armor, drop their weapons and follow him. While Isaiah’s vision of the Messiah (Isaiah 53:7) seemed incomprehensible to the disciples, I find it even more incomprehensible that Jesus willingly took upon himself my identity as a wayward sheep:

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

Isaiah 53:6-7

My Takeaway: The Lord, Christ Jesus, came in weakness, as a wayward sheep, to show me that God. my Father, fully identifies with me, and fully, completely, and forever more accepts me as His beloved child, with whom He is delighted and upon whom His favor rests.

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, May 8, 2026

Camp Patience

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

May 8, 2026

Camp Patience

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 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 8:1-2

This great affirmation of the Apostle Paul about our right-standing with God is another of my ‘go to’ Scriptures. This is not a matter of ‘get to’ for me; I ‘have to’ go here often. Why? Because I so readily identify with something Paul wrote in Romans 7: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Romans 7:18b-19). In the very bright light of my own acute awareness of my weakness, my sin, the lapses in my faith, I need to hear God remind me that I belong to Him, forever and ever: “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

The bottom line for Christ-followers is that God does not have ‘buyer’s remorse.’ He knew exactly what he was receiving when Christ died for us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8b). The desire of God’s heart is that we will enjoy and take delight in Him now, as He enjoys and takes delight in us, now.

“For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (Romans 5:10-11).

My Takeaway: Too often, it seems like my transformation from the person I am today to the person I want to become in Christ is taking way too long. In these times. the Holy Spirit reminds me, sometimes gently, sometimes not so much so, that this is the time to learn the spiritual discipline of patience. I am called to remember the truth that God is working in me, giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13) I suspect there may be times when you need to join me in Camp Patience. You will discover they have a nightly parade at Camp Patience, just like at Disney World, and our nightly anthem is:

“So you’ll go out in joy,

you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.

The mountains and hills will lead the parade,

bursting with song.

All the trees of the forest will join the procession,

exuberant with applause.”

Isaiah 55:12 (The Message)

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, May 7, 2026

Jesus, Friend Forever

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

May 7, 2026

Jesus, Friend Forever

For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

Romans 8:16

I have a yearning to hear the voice of Jesus. Interestingly, I know what I’ll hear, and I’m ready to hear it. I just need to carve out a time and place where I can sit quietly and listen for the voice of Jesus.

Lately, I have felt battered by the cacophony of voices vying for my attention. Recently, I received news that a neighbor had cardiac surgery. I prayed for my friend, but I still remembered the fear and pain I experienced several years ago when I traveled this same road. I never will outgrow my need for quiet time with Jesus, my friend forever.

I know what His voice will say to me. I know he has been trying to be heard over the cacophony, but I’ve been too consumed with self to hear him. But as soon as I find my quiet place, I’ll hear him say, “Alex, I am here. I have been calling you, but you haven't been listening. Alex, friend forever, I love you. You are my beloved.”

My Takeaway: I need to hear these affirmations from Jesus, repeatedly. This is the air I breathe, his holy presence living in me. This is my daily bread, his word spoken to me. And I'm desperate for him. And I'm lost without Jesus, my friend forever.

(Inspiration from: Breathe, by Marie Barnett, and What A Friend I've Found, DELIRIOUS)

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, May 6, 2026

Listening for the Voice of Jesus

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

May 6, 2026

Listening for the Voice of Jesus

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27

Among the many obstacles in our path as we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, is the cacophony of voices vying for our attention. Our own voice is chief in this barrage trying to influence our daily life. Our voice is made up of all our memories, our desires, our motives, our fears, our hopes and our dreams. Among all these voices, is the still small voice of God. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Therein is the life in Christ: listening to the voice of Jesus and following him.

Learning to discern the voice of Jesus is more of an art than a process. In my journey, I have found it helpful in mastering this art to remember three differences between God’s voice and all the voices in the cacophony calling out to me.

First, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the truth. It is impossible for God to lie. However, our adversary, who uses all the many voices surrounding us, is the enemy of God and a liar, the father of lies. (John 14:6; Hebrews 6:18; John 8:44)

Second, God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. The temptations in our life are no different from what others experience and come from our own desires. (James 1:13-14; 1 Corinthians 10:13)

Third, our adversary, the enemy of God will heap guilt upon us; however, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) Often in our culture, both within the church and without, people try to motivate us by using guilt. They may be well intentioned, but if they try to motivate us by guilt, we can be sure the voice of Jesus is not leading them. If Jesus is not leading them, why would we want to follow?

My Takeaway: When one of the voices in the cacophony manage to get our attention, we need only consider whether the voice is telling us the truth about God, our self, and our world; whether the voice is tempting us away from God’s plan for our life; and whether the voice is using guilt to urge us along their path. As we consider these three attributes, we’ll know whether it is the Voice of Truth calling out to us. God’s voice, even when He needs to correct our behavior, will always affirm the truth of our identity as His beloved children with whom He is delighted and upon whom His favor rests.

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, May 5, 2026

As Far as I Can Step

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

May 5, 2026

As Far as I Can Step

“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

Psalm 23:2-3

Seeking the life in Christ involves training in the new way of living in the Spirit. However, ultimately, we are transformed by God working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Our responsibility is to let God transform us into a new person, and this is more of an art than a process. (See Philippians 2:13 and Romans 12:2)

When I think of how I can let God transform me, I think of the TV show, “Dancing with the Stars.” Dancing with a partner involves one person leading, the other following. When two people try to lead, it doesn’t feel right to the partners and their movement doesn't flow with the music. However, when one person relaxes and lets the other lead, both partners begin to flow with the music. It's as if the two become one. To dance with a partner takes surrendering control from one person, and guidance and skill from the other.

Now, stand back and look at the word guidance. Do the letters ‘dance’ at the end of the word guidance jump out at you? Next, look at the acrostic formed by the letters preceding ‘dance.’

G U I:

God U and I

dance.

Spiritual guidance is dancing with God as we surrender control and allow God to lead us beside still waters, restore our soul and lead us in right paths for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:2b-3 NRSV)

My Takeaway: My metaphor of Dancing with the Stars breaks down a bit because unlike the partners on the TV show, we do not know the whole dance routine; God just gives us one step at a time. A true story I read many years ago helps me learn to rest in God arms and allow Him to lead our dance, one step at a time.

“As missionaries living abroad, we depended on older men serving as night sentries for our homes. These men were most useful in carrying notes at night between homes. One dark night, with no moon or stars shining, I went to my door and could just make out the figure of Papa Jean holding out a note. There were no streetlights in this isolated mission station. A small, six-inch kerosene lantern with a smoky chimney in Papa Jean's hand gave the only smattering of light. “Such a pitiful little light in such a dark night I thought; "That lamp doesn't give much light, does it, Papa?" I said to him. "No, it doesn't," he answered. "But it shines as far as I can step." (As Far as I Can Step, Virginia Law, Word Books (1970))

As I dance with God, I am learning His light shines as far as I can step.

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, May 4, 2026

We Are Torn Between Two Lovers

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

May 4, 2026

We Are Torn Between Two Lovers

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

Galatians 5:1

We are torn between two lovers. This is the reality of our lives. On one side, Jesus, who loves us and who gave himself for our sins, calls us to follow him. When we follow Jesus, through the power of God working in us, we get to serve God and enjoy the new way of living in the Spirit. Jesus is the ground of our hope in this new way of living, and we want to continually remind ourselves that “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:8-10). (See Galatians 1:4, Philippians 2:13, Romans 7:6b)

Over and against this life in Christ, we love ourselves. This is not the love God commands us to have for our neighbors; this is the love of our flesh, our natural life and the world culture where we live. The Apostle Paul was not too big on shades of gray. He saw things as black and white. You are either in Christ, or you are not. You are either living by grace, or you are living under the law. You are either living by the Spirit, or you are living by the flesh. Although Paul sees these two ways of living as being completely opposite of each other, he does recognize that these different ways of living are like forces constantly fighting each other, and thus we are torn between two lovers.

The vernacular of the performance-based-acceptance way of world culture is dominated by words such as should, ought, must, and have to. In our new way of living in the Spirit, our life is not governed by what we must do; rather life is governed by what we get to do. Living in this new way of the Spirit is the freedom Christ has won for us. One lover, the world’s culture, tries to dominate us by guilt. Our truest lover, Jesus, teaches us that there is no guilt for those who belong to him. (Romans 8:1-2)

My Takeaway: For the people of God, there has always been the question: “choose today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). The Apostle Paul suggests this as our response: “Plant your feet firmly therefore within the freedom that Christ has won for us, and do not let yourselves be caught again in the shackles of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 PHILLIPS).

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, May 12, 2026

Jesus’ Passion for My Brokenness

Monday, May 11, 2026

The Way of Weakness

Friday, May 8, 2026

Camp Patience

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Jesus, Friend Forever

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Listening for the Voice of Jesus

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

As Far as I Can Step

Monday, May 4, 2026

We Are Torn Between Two Lovers

Seeking the Life in Christ

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