Thought for Friday April 29

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

The stone which the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

By the LORD has this been done;

it is wonderful in our eyes.

This is the day the LORD has made;

let us be glad and rejoice in it.

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

John 21: 1 – 14 Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.

How would I feel if I were referred to as just “others”? Is it important to me to be recognized?

Action: Recognize someone for being there for you.

Thought for Thursday April 28

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

O LORD, our Lord,

how glorious is your name over all the earth!

What is man that you should be mindful of him,

or the son of man that you should care for him?

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Luke 24: 35 – 48 Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?

What troubles me? What questions keep me up at night?

Action: The next time you are faced with a disturbing question, first spend some time asking why the question bothers you. Sometimes God speaks to us by first “troubling” us.

Thought for Wednesday April 27

Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;

make known among the nations his deeds.

Sing to him, sing his praise,

proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

Luke 24: 13 – 35 “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?”

What is the best part of staying informed and being part of the conversation about important events? What is the downside?

Action: Be part of the conversation and offer your enlightened perspective about what is happening in our world.

Thought for Tuesday April 26

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Our soul waits for the LORD,

who is our help and our shield.

May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us

who have put our hope in you.

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

John 20: 11 – 18 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

If I were Mary, what would I have said to Jesus? What do I think the rest of Mary’s life was like?

Action: Let go of something that is not godly.

Thought for Monday April 25

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,

my body, too, abides in confidence;

Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,

nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

Matthew 28: 8 - 15 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples.

Is there any event I am looking forward to that might bring both joy and fear? Does joy just happen or do I have to invest something to make it happen?

Action: Search for joy and work to make it grow.

Thought for Good Friday April 22

Isaiah 52: 13 – 53: 12

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all.

Thought for Holy Thursday April 21

Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

How shall I make a return to the LORD

for all the good he has done for me?

The cup of salvation I will take up,

and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

John 13: 1 – 5 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.

Am I following Jesus’ model?

Action: Follow his model.

Thought for Wednesday April 20

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

I will praise the name of God in song,

and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:

"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;

you who seek God, may your hearts revive!

For the LORD hears the poor,

and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Matthew 26: 14 – 25 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

What am I preparing for Jesus? Do I have anything I want to do during Easter that I am still preparing for?

Action: Plan something to celebrate Holy Week or Easter.

Thought for Tuesday April 19

I will sing of your salvation.

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to give me safety,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

I will sing of your salvation.

John 13: 21 – 38 Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."

Have I ever been betrayed (by a friend, family member, government, Church or other respected institution)? Does a betrayal negate forever all of the good someone does?


Action: If you have ever been betrayed and are still upset about it, make a list of all the good your betrayer has done and try to show them as much compassion as Jesus showed Judas.

Thought for Monday April 18

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD with courage;

be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

John 12: 1 – 11 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.


Mary, Martha and Lazarus are mentioned several times in the Gospels; how important are friends when you are facing tough times? Who do I lean on when I need help?


Action: Make plans to spend some time with your friends soon.

Thought for Friday April 15

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

My God, my rock of refuge,

my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!

Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,

and I am safe from my enemies.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

John 10: 31 – 42 The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.”

Do I place more value on works or words? Is it easier to misunderstand works or words?

Action: Try doing something good without talking about it and see if your work speaks for itself.

Thought for Thursday April 14

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Look to the LORD in his strength;

seek to serve him constantly.

Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,

his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

John 8: 51 – 59 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

Have I ever said anything that was perfectly true but still made people mad? Have I ever gotten mad at what someone else said?

Action: The next time you see someone get mad, do something nice for him.

Thought for Wednesday April 13

Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,

praiseworthy and glorious forever.”

Glory and praise for ever!

John 8: 31 – 42 Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Does telling the truth set me free? Am I free enough to tell the truth?

Action: Tell the truth and get yourself free.

Thought for Tuesday April 12

O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

O LORD, hear my prayer,

and let my cry come to you.

Hide not your face from me

in the day of my distress.

Incline your ear to me;

in the day when I call, answer me speedily.

O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

John 8: 21 – 30 So they said to him, "Who are you?"

Who am I? Who is Jesus for me?

Action: Spend some time working on your relationship with Jesus.

Thought for Monday April 11

Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

Beside restful waters he leads me;

he refreshes my soul.

Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

John 8: 1 – 11 “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.

Do I have to be sinless to see the sins of others? What can I do when I do recognize another’s sin?

Action: The next time you notice someone else sinning, do something positive to counteract the effect of that sin.

Thought for Friday April 8

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

Many are the troubles of the just man,

but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

John 7: 1-2, 10, 25 - 30 Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.

If people were trying to kill me, would I avoid them? What do I believe in enough to risk my life?

Action: Avoid any person, habit or situation which “kills” your spirit; at least for a day or two

Thought for Thursday April 7

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

They forgot the God who had saved them,

who had done great deeds in Egypt,

Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,

terrible things at the Red Sea.

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

John 5: 31 – 47 How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?

Is it important for me to get praise from other people? What is praise from God like?

Action: Praise somebody for doing something that you normally take for granted.

Thought for Wednesday April 6

The Lord is gracious and merciful.

The LORD is just in all his ways

and holy in all his works.

The LORD is near to all who call upon him,

to all who call upon him in truth.

The Lord is gracious and merciful.

John 5: 17 – 30 “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”


Whose will do I seek? Am I good at setting aside my own will and judging fairly?


Action: The next time you are asked to “judge” something, honestly admit to yourself what would be best for you, so that you are aware of your own potential to be unjust.

Thought for Tuesday April 5

The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

God is our refuge and our strength,

an ever-present help in distress.

Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken

and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.

The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

John 5: 1 – 16 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?”

What would it be like to suddenly be well after 38 years of being sick? Would I be grateful for the new life or resentful of all of the years I was sick?
Action: Work to improve your life so that you can do more for the Kingdom of God.

Thought for Monday April 4

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,

and give thanks to his holy name.

For his anger lasts but a moment;

a lifetime, his good will.

At nightfall, weeping enters in,

but with the dawn, rejoicing.

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

John 4: 43 – 54 Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine.


Do I think Cana had changed as a result of the miracle that Jesus worked there? Have I changed because of the little miracles I have witnessed?


Action: We are halfway through Lent; if you haven’t made any changes yet start now.