No Wonder You Have So Few

March 4, 2016

No Wonder You Have So Few

And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.

2 Thessalonians 1:5

Take a moment to remember the time you made your commitment to be a follower of Jesus. Next, fast forward to the present time. For all the days, months, years, or decades since you became one of his disciples, what most characterizes your journey: mountaintop experiences, times along the level plains of life, or days in the valleys of life?

Jesus warned his followers that we would encounter grief, injury, persecution, and betrayal, just as he did. For all who take up their cross to follow Jesus, will come days when we are too tired, too weary, too confused, and too lonely to pray. In such extremity, we may well feel as though we are beyond being comforted by scripture, prayer or devotional practices. Our hearts will be tempted to cry out the words attributed to Teresa of Avila, “Lord, if this is the way you treat your friends, it is no wonder you have so few.”

Even so, when we find our faith lagging, Jesus’ faith in us and in his coming Kingdom is not! While we will most certainly experience days when we feel our flame has been extinguished, fear not; Jesus will not quench a smoldering wick. While we will most certainly experience days when we feel we have been bruised and battered and are no longer useful, fear not; Jesus will not break a bruised reed. (Matthew 12:20)

I suspect Teresa uttered her now famous words with just a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. Even though she had fallen (literally off of her horse), she knew she was for evermore Jesus’ friend. So are you, so am I.

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The LORD Merely Spoke

March 3, 2016

The LORD Merely Spoke

“The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.

He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”

Psalm 33:6

In Psalm 33, the psalmist exposed the folly of those who rely on their own strength, their own wisdom.  The psalmist lived in a world governed by the notion of survival of the fittest, as do we. To this culture, the Word of God is counter-cultural: “But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18).

As you read this psalm, you are compelled to wonder how the psalmist could have such confidence in God, while living in the reality of a very violent world of competing loyalties and cultures. Read the psalm again and notice that the source of his confidence is prayer: “Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (Psalm 33:22). The psalmist was living out the theme of a little book on prayer I wrote a few years ago, “First Think, Then Pray.” The psalmist has taken the time to think, to ponder, and to meditate on the character of God. Then he formulated a prayer to ask God to manifest His character in the life of the psalmist: “Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.”

This beautiful psalm praises our God, who loves you so much He cannot take His eyes off of you: “The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race” (Psalm 33:13). This psalm is our invitation to never take our eyes, or our mind, off of God, because “the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18).

Earlier in the week I spent a long and exhausting day at the hospital where my wife was having her shattered elbow surgically repaired. Throughout the day, I had a running text dialog with my best friend who, several hundred miles away, was supporting us in prayer. At the end of the day, he and I were musing on the troubling political scene in America and I commented, “If I can entrust my beloved to the Lord’s care, how can I not trust my country to his mercy and grace?” After all, “The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”

Let us say with the psalmist, “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20).

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.)

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Into Your Hands

March 2, 2016

Into Your Hands

I entrust my spirit into your hand.

    Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

Psalm 31:5

In Psalm 31, over and over again David communicates the wonders of trusting in God’s care: “But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection. Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe. Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” (Psalm 31:14, 19, 21, 23-24).

Throughout the Psalm, David is expressing his trust in God as he moves from petition to affirmation. “Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger” (Psalm 31:2b-3). David’s foundation for trust is not in his own worthiness to receive God’s care; rather, his foundation is the grace of God. Jesus takes us even deeper into an understanding of God’s grace.

As powerful as David’s affirmations of God’s power, love and care for his children are, they pale in comparison to the intimacy Jesus infused into this psalm. David’s psalm states in verse five, “I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.” Remember that the expression, LORD, was a formal, very reverent, rendering of the name of God. On the Cross, Jesus changed this formal address to God to an expression of the intimacy of parent and child: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

Of course, on the cross was not the first time Jesus revealed to us the intimacy God desires with his children. Jesus took all of the gracious expressions for the love and care of God and taught us to come before God’s throne, as his children, praying, “Our Father, who art in heaven . . .”

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.)

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Changing the Way We Think

March 1, 2016

Changing the Way We Think

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.

Matthew 20:26-27

Jesus’ teaching follows his refereeing a riff among his disciples that arose after the mother of James and John had appealed to Jesus to grant special favor to her sons. Late last year, when the Pope visited the USA, he modeled Jesus’ teaching. Although the Pope is honored with much pomp and circumstance wherever he goes, he sought out opportunities to serve the least of his followers. Regrettably, the Pope’s example is lost on most of the powerful in our society. Many of our politicians, professional athletes, and celebrities are favored with varying expressions of pomp, and many of them act as though they are so entitled, often showing little or no regard to the working class citizens.

We will soon be in Holy Week, which is marked in many churches with a congregational foot-washing on Maundy Thursday. While this is a commendable expression of Jesus’ teaching in John 13:14, often such expressions of humility and servanthood are restricted to one Thursday night per year. As we journey through this season of Lent, we all will do well to consider how we can shape our lives to reflect Jesus’ teaching, not once a year during Holy Week, but 24/7, every day. The Apostle Paul said we are transformed by changing the way we think. (Romans 12:2) I have found meditating on this verse to be very helpful in changing the way I have been conditioned by our culture to think:

“Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself”

Philippians 2:3 NET

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.)

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.