Thought for Thursday November 1

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

 

1 John 3: 1 – 3  Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.  We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

 

What hope do I hold for the people who have gone before me?  Who have I lost that I miss the most?

 

Action:  Do a good deed for someone today in honor of someone you have lost.

Thought for Wednesday October 31

The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
The Lord is faithful in all his words.

 

Luke 13: 22 – 30  Someone asked Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”

 

What do I want the answer to this question to be?  Do I want everyone to be saved, or do I prefer to think of heaven as a very exclusive club?

 

Action:  Think of someone (contemporary, historical or even fictional) that you believe is not going to heaven, and imagine God forgiving him.

Thought for Tuesday October 30

The Lord has done marvels for us.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
The Lord has done marvels for us.

 

Luke 13: 18 – 21  Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?  It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.  When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

What strikes me most about this description of the Kingdom of God?  Do I have a role/place in this kingdom?

Action:   Do something to make someone’s day.

Thought for Monday October 29

Behave like God as his very dear children.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.

Behave like God as his very dear children.

Ephesian 4: 32 – 5: 8   Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving.

 

How do I respond when I hear talk that is obviously unfit among holy ones?  Do I participate?

 

Action:  Use your words for talk that is fit for holy ones.

Thought for Friday October 26

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Ephesians 4: 1 – 6  Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace;

Am I living in a manner worthy of the call I have received?   Do I bear other people with love – all of them?

Action:   The next time you find yourself in the middle of chaos, keep calm and be the voice of peace.

Thought for Thursday October 25

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

 

Luke 12: 49 – 53 Jesus said,  “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.”

So is Jesus happy that there is such division in the world?   Is he expressing a wish or a prediction or …?

 Action:  Find some common ground, no matter how trivial, with someone or some cause you disagree with.

 

Thought for Wednesday October 24

You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Luke 12: 39 – 48  Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

What has been entrusted to me?   What is demanded of me?

Action:  Decide to use one of your gifts for the good of others.

 

Thought for Tuesday October 23

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

 

Luke 12: 35 – 38  Jesus said to his disciples:  “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.”

What am I waiting for?  Do I stand ready to do the Father’s will?

Action:  Stay up 15 minutes later tonight and ask God if there is anything he wants you to do.

Thought for Monday October 22

The Lord made us, we belong to him.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise.
The Lord made us, we belong to him.

Luke 12: 13 – 21  “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

What are my most prized possessions?  Would it make any difference in my life if I lost them?

 

Action:  Give away some things you really don’t need.

Thought for Friday October 19

Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten‑stringed lyre chant his praises.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Luke 12: 1 – 7  Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops.

What would I not say if I thought it would be heard by everyone?  What do I proclaim from the rooftops?

Action:   The next time you are tempted to whisper something, ask yourself if it is something that really should be proclaimed or left unsaid.

Thought for Thursday October 18

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

 

Luke 10: 1 – 9  He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Am I doing my part?  What sustains me in the work that I do?

Action:  Get out there and harvest something.

Thought for Wednesday October 17

Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.

 

Luke 11: 42 – 46  “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

Does being right absolve me from my duty to be compassionate?  Do I think God has ever given me a burden and not been there to help?

Action:  The next time you tell someone else what he “should do,”  find a way to help him do it.

Thought for Tuesday October 16

Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will walk at liberty,
because I seek your precepts.
Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.

Galatians 5: 1 - 6    Brothers and sisters:  For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

Have I allowed myself to become enslaved to anything – debt, addictions, bad habits, hobbies, social networks, etc?  Have I ever helped someone escape from what enslaved him?

Action:  Think about what you're doing to other people.  Think about forgiveness and let yourself be free.

Thought for Monday October 15

The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
The Lord has made known his salvation.

 

Luke 11: 29 – 32  At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation  and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

What have past generations done that we can’t seem to do today?  What would they condemn us for?

 

Action:  Take the time to study a sin of past generations and how we solved it or grew out of it. 

Thought for Friday October 12

The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

 

Luke 11: 15 – 26  “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.”

What divisions am I part of?  Would I give up fighting to be “right” if it could heal a division?

 
Action:  Get involved in healing a division in your family, neighborhood, community or country.  You can start with something simple like inviting the “black sheep” in your family to a get together he would normally be excluded from.

Thought for Thursday October 11

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

 

Luke 11: 5 – 13  Jesus said to his disciples: “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread…”

 

Do you have a friend you could do this to?  Is Jesus this kind of a friend for you?

 

Action:  Donate three loaves of bread to a local soup kitchen, food bank, shelter or family in need.

Thought for Wednesday October 10

Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

Luke 11: 1 – 4  “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

Is there a part of this prayer that really strikes me?  Is there anything I wouldn’t dare say unless Jesus told me to?

Action:  Pray the Our Father slowly, pausing to think about what every word means.

Thought for Tuesday October 9

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Luke 10: 38 – 42  Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.

 

What part have I chosen?  What am I doing with it?

 

Action:    Take a little bit of the work for someone so he or she can experience the better part.

Thought for Monday October 8

You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
My prayer reached you
in your holy temple.
You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.

Luke 10: 25 – 37  Jesus replied,  “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

 

How do I respond to people in need?  Do I ever pass by on the opposite side?

 

Action:  Be a good Samaritan this week.

Thought for Friday October 5

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

 

Luke 10: 13 – 16  Jesus said, “Whoever listens to you listens to me.”

Do I want that responsibility?  Am I conscious of this responsibility when I speak?

Action:  Speak out against and work to change something in your community that is not consistent with Jesus’ teaching.

Thought for Thursday October 4

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

 

Luke 10: 1 – 12  Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.

 

Do I deserve my payment?  When I work (at a job, around the house, volunteer, etc) am I conscientious about doing a good job?

 

Action:  It is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  Do something great for an animal today.

Thought for Wednesday October 3

Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

 

Luke 9: 57 – 62  Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."

 

Where am I most at home?  Do I ever feel like there is nowhere for me to go to rest?

 

Action:  Make a plan to rest.

Thought for Tuesday October 2

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Matthew 18: 1 – 5, 10  Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.

What do I miss most about being a child?  Is there anything about my younger self I would like to recapture?

Action:  Talk to God like a child – don’t worry about being thoughtful, deep, articulate, etc.  Just thank him for the cool people you know and ask him to give you what you really want.