Thought for Friday February 28

The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
The Lord is kind and merciful.

James 5:9 - 12     But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,” that you may not incur condemnation.

Do I deal with people honestly?  Can people count on me to stand behind what I say?

Action:  Say “yes” when you can and “no” when you have to.

Thought for Thursday February 27

Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Mark 9 : 41 – 50  Jesus said to his disciples: “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.”

Why do I do good things?  Are rewards important to me?

Action:  Do something good that no one will reward you for.

Thought for Wednesday February 26

Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Hear this, all you peoples;
hearken, all who dwell in the world,
Of lowly birth or high degree,
rich and poor alike.
Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

James 4: 13 – 17  Beloved: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”– you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.  Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.”

How important are my plans?  Am I prepared to follow God’s inspiration even if it conflicts with my plans?

Action:  Prepare yourself for what your life will be like tomorrow.

Thought for Tuesday February 25

Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.

Mark 9:30 – 37  If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.

Who do I put first?  Who has always put me first?

Action:  Do something today to honor someone who put you first.

 

Thought for Monday February 24

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.

James 3: 13 – 18  Beloved: Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him show his works by a good life  in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Am I wise enough to be humble?   Do my works show I am wise?

Action:  Do something wise today.

Thought for Friday February 21

Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.

 

James 2: 14 – 26  What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Does my faith lead to works?   How do I live my faith?

Action:  Do something to provide food or clothing to someone on need.

Thought for Thursday February 20

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

James 2: 1 – 19  My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person with shabby clothes also comes in,  and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,”  have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?

Do I treat rich people differently than poor people?  Do I get treated differently than someone who is richer or poorer than I am?

Action:  Show no partiality.

Thought for Wednesday February 19

Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?

James 1: 19 – 27  Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger for anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.

Do I listen faster than I speak?  Am I quick to anger?

Action:  Slow down and pay attention to what makes you angry.  Spend some time honestly evaluating why it makes you angry.

Thought for Tuesday February 18

Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

James 1: 12 – 18  No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one.

What temptations are hardest for me to resist?  Has giving in to temptations caused a problem in my life?

Actions:  Make a new plan to help you resist some temptation that is causing you trouble.

Thought for Monday February 17

Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.

Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.

James 1: 1 – 11  Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What have I had to persevere through in my life?  What keeps me going when times are tough?

Action:  Help someone who is going through a trying time.

Thought for Friday February 14

I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand.”

I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

Mark 7: 31 – 37  “He has done all things well.  He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

What have I done?  What would I like people to say about me?

Action:  Do something good this weekend.

Thought for Thursday February 13

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Mark 7: 24 – 30  He [Jesus] entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice.

Have I ever wanted people to not notice that Jesus was in my life?  Do people notice that Jesus is in my life?

Action:  Try and notice Jesus in the life of someone you know who has never mentioned faith, religion, spirituality, etc.

Thought for Wednesday February 12

O bless the Lord, my soul!
All creatures look to you
to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
O bless the Lord, my soul!

Mark 7: 14 – 23  From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.

How am I doing?  What defiles me?

Action:  Pick one thing you do that “defiles” you and quit doing it – for as long as you can.

Thought for Tuesday February 11

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Mark 7: 1 – 13  "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"

What do I do based mostly on familial or societal tradition?  Is following tradition having a positive effect on my life?

Action:  Adopt a new tradition (for Valentine’s Day, Lent, Spring, President’s Day, etc) that you think will have a positive effect on your life.  To get started you could ask others what they do or research different cultures.

Thought for Monday February 10

Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Advance, O LORD, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.
Lord, go up to the place of your rest!

Mark 6: 53 – 56  They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

Why did these people go out to bring the sick to Jesus without first asking for anything for themselves?  Is it hard for me to put myself first or face my own problems?

Action:  Do something nice for the person you would be most likely to bring to Jesus on a mat.

Thought for Friday February 7

The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Mark 6: 14  - 29  When he [Herod] heard him [John] speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.

Do I like to listen to things that challenge me?  Do I ever find scripture perplexing?

Action:  Read (or otherwise face) something spiritual you have been avoiding because you find it too challenging.

Thought for Thursday February 6

O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Mark 6: 7 – 13  Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

If Jesus were to send me out like this (two by two) whom would I want to go with?  Who most helps me do the work of God?

Action:  If you have someone you would want to go with, do something nice for him or her today.  If you don’t know someone you would want to go with, treat yourself to a “rugged individualist” special treat.

 

Thought for Wednesday February 5

Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Mark 6: 1 – 6  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?

How do the people who knew me growing up describe [treat] me?  Do I find that comforting or annoying?

Action:  Learn something new about someone you have known forever.

Thought for Tuesday February 4

They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts be ever merry!"
They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.

 

Mark 5: 21 – 43  But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?"

In the crowd of people that has surrounded me throughout my life, who has touched me?  How have I touched others?

Action:  Pay it forward and try to touch the lives of 3 people for every 1 that has touched you.

Thought for Monday February 3

Lord, rise up and save me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
Lord, rise up and save me.

 

Mark 5: 1 – 20  “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

What does Jesus have to do with me?  What do I have to do with Jesus?

Action:  Involve Jesus in some activity in your life that you have never made him a part of.