Seeking the Life in Christ: 2020

Thursday, December 31, 2020

A Light in the Window

Christmas Meditations

December 31, 2019

A Light in the Window

Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.

Revelation 21:14

Cheryl and I started a tradition several years ago. Every Sunday morning at breakfast, we pick a blessing, places where we have experienced God moving in our lives, from the previous week and make a note of it on a slip of paper. We put the paper in a quart mason jar. On New Year’s Eve, we gather around our Christmas tree and put all those slips of paper in a basket. Then, one by one, we will review all of our many blessings from 2020. And yes, even though Covid-19 has disrupted most of this year, our Blessing Jar is overflowing with the goodness of God. (And, on Sunday, January 3, 2021, we will start filling the jar once again!)

Our circumstances differ, but there is one essential truth that is for all of the followers of Jesus Christ. When we reach our final destination, we will lift our heads, and we all will see a light in the window of God’s Mansion, with a sign on the door,

“Welcome Home, My Beloved.”

I pray this eternal truth will guide you as you take time to review your life of 2020 and set your sails for 2021:

Your Heavenly Father is head-over-heels,

passionately in love with you.

You are His beloved child,

with whom He is delighted

and upon whom His favor rests.

Sē’lah

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(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 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.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

I Trust Him With All My Heart

Christmas Meditations

December 30, 2020

I Trust Him With All My Heart

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.”

Psalm 28:7

Jesus taught his disciples “with God everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26). Sometimes our faith is tested because we do not see answers to our prayers. Can we still believe, even though we do not see? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews makes clear that faith is the unwavering determination to trust God, to believe God, even when we do not see the results we want.

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Because God is the Lord of the impossible, bringing life out of death, bringing success out of apparent failure, we can look at seemingly impossible circumstances and choose the way of the psalmist:

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.”

In the first portion of this psalm, David seems overwhelmed with the corruption of society. He steadfastly believed in the judgment of God and did not want to be caught up in God’s judgment of the wicked. As David prayed to the Lord, his rock, he asked for mercy. Then, in the midst of his lament, his prayer for mercy turned into a prayer of praise,

“Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy.”

What caused his change?

I believe the Apostle Paul helps us understand this change. In Romans 8: 15-16 Paul writes,

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

When we come to God in faith, God participates in our prayers. God’s Spirit bears witness to our spirit, and God’s Spirit thus helps us stand firm in our faith, even when our circumstances have not changed.

My Takeaway: With the Spirit’s help, we can trust God with our lives. Thank God for the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. He did not leave us alone.

Hallelujah!

Sē’lah

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(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, December 29, 2020

This Is What The Sovereign Lord Says!

Christmas Meditations

December 29, 2020

This Is What The Sovereign Lord Says!

They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people.

But I am sending you to say to them,

‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’

Ezekiel 2:4

Ezekiel recorded the words of God to Israel many thousands of years ago, but they can just as easily be His words to me today. I am very much in need of the Holy Spirit coming to me, over and over again, and reporting to me, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’

I need this remedial training because it is so difficult to completely overcome the ways of my past that are so deeply ingrained within me. And I am not alone. I recall my wife, Cheryl, sharing with me an incident when she was driving her mother to the store. Her mother had been widowed for about a year. Cheryl’s father had been quite successful in life and had provided well for his family. Cheryl’s mother was completely debt-free, and had a substantial income in her retirement. As they drove toward the store, Cheryl’s mother turned to her and asked, “Do you think I can afford to buy a new pair of house slippers?” Given her financial standing, her question seemed absurd. Given that she had been raised in poverty during the Great Depression, her question made perfect sense. The experiences of our past deeply shape our perspective on today.

We live in a culture that emphasizes awareness of emotions and feelings. The experiences of our past deeply shape our feelings about today. This is why we so need the Holy Spirit reminding us of the truth of God. We can choose to turn from our past and its influential feelings and turn to God’s Word. When we choose God’s Word, we will see that the world’s culture has told us a pack of lies about who we are, and who God is, and we will learn that God, in Christ Jesus, is telling us the truth. We are the beloved children of God, with whom He is delighted and upon whom His favor rests.

My Takeaway: Because the virgin conceived a child, this truth of our identity as the beloved children of God is our Christmas gift. She gave birth to a son, and we call him Immanuel, which means this Truth is always with us.

Sē’lah

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(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, December 28, 2020

Jesus Overcame The World; He Can Overcome You!

Christmas Meditations

December 28, 2020

Jesus Overcame The World; He Can Overcome You!

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.

But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

As I study history, I have been struck by the huge difference for good just one person can make. History records the deeds of many individuals who at one time seemed like a lonely voice in the wilderness calling for change, and change came. Think of Wilberforce’s leadership to stop slavery in England, or John Wesley’s zeal to take the Gospel to the common man, or President Harry Truman taking a stand for the state of Israel. Of course, the corollary is just as true. Either for good, or for evil, one person can make a huge difference.

Some people are in places where their actions can influence hundreds, even thousands of others. Some people are in places where their range of influence may not stretch beyond their nuclear family. Even so, all people have influence. Too many people negate their potential for influence because they seem to have so little influence over their own life. For these people, it seems they are continually waging war, and not winning many victories against the same enemies: moodiness, laziness, grudges and resentments, self-centeredness and their feeble life of faith.

Do you, or someone you know, feel that personal failures cancel your potential to be an influence for good in the lives of others? If so, be reminded, and remind your friend, that the issue is not whether you are able;

the issue is whether Jesus is able!

My Takeaway: Our Savior, Christ Jesus, transformed the world through his birth in Bethlehem. Take heart! He has overcome the world and is quite capable of transforming your life! Appropriate your Christmas gift of hope, and give your life to God as a force for good in His world!

Sē’lah

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(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, December 25, 2020

L’ENCHANTÉ

Christmas Meditations

December 25, 2020

L’ENCHANTÉ

To whom can you compare God?

What image can you find to resemble him?

Isaiah 40:18

Every Christmas I love sharing the story of L’Enchanté. This beautiful story comes from the forest of Provence in southern France. It’s about the four shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see the Christ child. One brought eggs, another brought bread and cheese, the third brought wine. And the fourth brought nothing at all. People called him L’Enchanté.

The first three shepherds chatted with Mary and Joseph, commenting on how well Mary looked, how cozy was the cave and how handsomely Joseph had appointed it, what a beautiful starlit night it was! They congratulated the proud parents, presented them with their gifts and assured them that if they needed anything else, they had only to ask.

Finally someone asked, “Where is L’Enchanté?” They searched high and low, up and down, inside and out. Finally, someone peeked through the blanket hung against the draft, into the crèche. There, kneeling at the crib, was L’Enchanté. – the Enchanted one. Like a flag or a flame taking the direction of the wind, he had taken the direction of love. Through the entire night, he stayed in adoration, whispering, “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

Find time on this Christmas Day to light a solitary candle. In quietness, gaze upon the simple candle and allow your heart to become enchanted with “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

(The story of L’ENCHANTÉ is from, Brennan Manning, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, Revell, 2004)

Sē’lah

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(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, December 24, 2020

Zechariah’s Prophecy

Advent Meditations

December 24, 2020

Zechariah’s Prophecy

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Luke 1:78-79

Read Luke 1:66-79

Zachariah’s insight into the continuity of God working through his people can be an example and inspiration to all of the followers of Jesus:

“He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham” (Luke 1:72-73).

Zachariah interpreted God’s action in his son John, and in Jesus, as God’s faithfulness to His covenant promise to Abraham. In Zachariah’s world, the people of Israel had been over-run by foreigners for hundreds of years. Oppression and brutality by invading forces had become their way of life. Most of Zachariah’s countrymen had hatred for both the foreigners and the leaders of their own country. John the Baptist was born into a culture of angry people. Even so, there were still sparks of an eternal hope within Elizabeth and Zachariah.

We too, in this present age, are living in a culture of angry people. The approval ratings of our national leaders reach new lows each week. In print and electronic mediums, we are bombarded with angry messages telling us what to think. In contrast to the present darkness of this age, Jesus calls his followers to also draw hope and strength from the faithfulness of God.

On this Christmas Eve, in the midst of the darkness of a world-wide pandemic, let us draw inspiration from the sparks of hope displayed within Elizabeth and Zachariah.

My Takeaway: As we choose to trust God with our present and our future, we can become counter-cultural and embrace Zachariah’s faith in the ultimate victory of God. Praise the Lord, the God of Hope.

Sē’lah

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(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, December 23, 2020

The Birth of John the Baptist

Advent Meditations

December 23, 2020

The Birth of John the Baptist

He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

Luke 1:63-64

Read Luke 1:57-66

Zachariah makes a huge leap of faith in the naming of his son John. The cultural tradition called for him to extend his family name by giving his first-born child his own name. Nine months before this, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah in the Temple, he balked at believing the angel’s prophecy and was made mute. This time, Zachariah didn’t balk at the leading of the Lord, but followed the instructions of the angel of the Lord and named his child, John.

As I reflect on Zachariah’s disobedience and obedience, I am grateful the Lord has not severely punished me for my many acts of disobedience, or failures to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. As I have previously noted, the hymn writer nailed me perfectly when he wrote, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.” (Come Thou Fount, Robert Robinson)

During the nine months Zachariah could not speak, he could hear. I believe it was during this time Zachariah was inspired by the Holy Spirt to formulate the prophecy which is the passage we will consider tomorrow. For today, let us reflect on how in our silence we can open our hearts and minds to the leading of God in our lives.

My Takeaway: For several months, I have been using a Centering Prayer application on my iPad. I begin my time with listening to my favorite devotional song, I Love You Lord. Then I sit quietly for several minutes with a carved wooden cross in my hand, focused on the scripture, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) One result has been a keener sense of the prompts of the Holy Spirit and a more willing spirit to obey.

Sē’lah

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(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, December 22, 2020

The Magnificat

Advent Meditations

December 22, 2020

The Magnificat

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

Luke 1:46-47

Read Luke 1:46-56

Almost every word of Mary’s beautiful song is a quotation of scripture. Elizabeth’s child is John the Baptist, and his preaching will echo Mary’s song.

Mary and Elizabeth are far from naïve. There is yet to come much pain and sorrow in their lives. Why then could they speak with such excitement and joy about a child who then was still thirty weeks from birth? I believe they could celebrate with such uninhibited joy because, as I noted yesterday, they knew they were participating in God’s plan of salvation. In their reading of the scriptures, they met the God of Creation who is the Holy One, the Powerful One, the Faithful One, the Merciful One, and the One who is Love for all of His creation. When they realized God was literally moving within them to fulfill his promises, their spirits responded with words of reverence and joy, the words of scripture.

When I read Mary’s song, I think of that most beautiful of sonnets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet XLIII. It begins “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach . . .”

I believe an appropriate Advent practice for us is to write our own sonnet for Jesus. Our sonnet may begin with the words, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Then we can fill in the remaining lines with the many ways, grounded in scripture, we have experience God our Savior.

My Takeaway: I’ve never written poetry, so this will be a poem that only Jesus could love. But it will be my expression of love for the One who set me free from sin and death.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(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, December 31, 2020

A Light in the Window

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

I Trust Him With All My Heart

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

This Is What The Sovereign Lord Says!

Monday, December 28, 2020

Jesus Overcame The World; He Can Overcome You!

Friday, December 25, 2020

L’ENCHANTÉ

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Zechariah’s Prophecy

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

The Birth of John the Baptist

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

The Magnificat

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