Thought for Friday 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.

 

Matthew 5: 1 – 12  Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

 

For whom do I mourn?  Do I find comfort in the feast of All Saints (and Halloween and All Souls)?

 

Action:  Do something fun this weekend that you used to do with someone you have lost and let it bring you comfort.

Thought for Thursday October 31

Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten‑stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Luke 13: 31 – 35  Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.

Do I have the perseverance to continue doing what I know I should even when I know it will be hard?  Where do I look for the strength to keep going?

Action:  If there is something you have given up on doing even though you know you should, take one step toward doing it again.  If you are perfect and never give up, go to dinner and celebrate.

Thought for Wednesday October 30

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 find a way to work against whatever sin he or she was/is committing.

Thought for Tuesday October 29

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 Friday October 25

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.

 

Luke 12: 54 – 59  “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

Would I rather be told what is right and wrong or figure it out for myself?   Is the world simple enough to just live by a set of rules?

Action:  If there is some issue on which you are just following authority without convictions of your own, rethink it.  You may come to the same conclusion, but at least it will be your conclusion.

Thought for Thursday October 24

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 with everyone you encounter today.

Thought for Wednesday October 23

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 22

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 21

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 18

I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

 

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 have I said that I would not want proclaimed from the housetops?  Is it good to be reminded of this every year?

Action:  Do something nice for someone you have privately said something bad about.   

Thought for Thursday October 17

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: 47 – 54  Woe to you, scholars of the law!  You have taken away the key of knowledge.  You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.

Do I believe I am getting the keys to understanding important issues in our society?  Does God offer me the key of knowledge?

Action:  Look for the keys of knowledge, and don’t be satisfied with rumors.

Thought for Wednesday October 16

Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
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.
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

 Luke 11: 42 – 46  The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.”

Do I ever give without even thinking about what God really wants?  What am I doing, besides “paying tithes”, to help change the world?

Action:  The next time you are asked to give, ask how what you are giving will change the world.

Thought for Tuesday October 15

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.

Luke 11: 37 – 41  After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.

Would I have invited Jesus to dinner after all of the “challenging” things he said over the last week?  Do you think anyone who had just heard Jesus preach envied the Pharisee who invited Jesus?

Action:  Pay attention to the people around you.  If anyone seems intimidated because of your position, size, demeanor, etc, make an effort to be more approachable.   If there is someone who intimidates you, make the effort  to speak up in his or her presence.

Thought for Monday October 14

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 11

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 10

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 9

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 8

If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.

If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

Luke 10: 38 – 42  Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

Have I welcomed Jesus into my life or just tolerated his presence?  What is the difference?

Action:  Do something welcoming for someone you think needs it.

Thought for Monday October 7

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 4

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 3

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:  Be worth your wage today.

Thought for Tuesday October 2

I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
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.
I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Matthew 18: 1 – 5, 10  He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. 

What’s so great about kids?  What qualities have I lost as I have gotten older?

Action:  Approach a serious problem facing your family or society with the optimism and idealism of youth and see what you can do to make things better when you are not hindered by the cynicism of age.