Thought for Friday May 30

God is king of all the earth.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
God is king of all the earth.

John 16: 20 – 23  So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Am I in anguish?   Can I even begin to imagine the joy of being in the presence of God?

Action:  Do something joyful this weekend; or at least try to make it joyful for someone else.

Thought for Ascension Thursday May 29

God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

 

Acts 1: 1 – 11  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.

How do you think the Apostles felt as Jesus left them?  Do you think it was harder for the Apostles to witness the Crucifixion or the Ascension?

Action:  Rise above whatever is swirling around your community and do something good today.

Thought for Wednesday May 28

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
 Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

John 16: 12 – 15  Jesus said to his disciples: "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”

Do I value the truth?  Is being “truthful” the same as being “factual”?

Action:  Look around at your surroundings today and state one truth they bear witness to.

Thought for Tuesday May 27

Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

John 16: 5 – 11  Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.”

When have I experienced grief?  Was it healthy; did it help me move on?

Action:  When you make a change in your life to more closely bear witness to Jesus, go ahead and take the time to grieve for whatever you are giving up.

Thought for Monday May 26

The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
The Lord takes delight in his people.

 

John 15: 26 – 16: 4  They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.

Would I be willing to give me life for what I believe in?  Am I investing my life working for what I believe in?

Action:  Spend some time today thinking of all those who gave their lives to preserve what they believed in and all of those who spent their lives working to make your life better.

Thought for Friday May 23

I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.

John 15: 12 – 17  It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

Do I feel like I was chosen?  Do I accept that I am appointed to bear fruit?

Action:  Ask the Father to help you bear fruit in a situation where your previous efforts have been fruitless and keep trying.

Thought for Thursday May 22

The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

John 15: 9 – 17  This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

Does this mean I have to love everybody?  How can I express love to others?

Action:  Find a way to express Jesus’ love to somebody you can’t stand.

Thought for Wednesday May 21

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

John 15: 1 – 8  Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

Do I think that I can make a real difference without Jesus?  Is it arrogant to think that I can change the world with Jesus’ help?

Action:  Look around you for the next few days and choose something you can do to make the world better with Jesus.

Thought for Tuesday May 20

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.

 

John 14: 27 – 31  Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.

What is peace?  How is the “peace” we are offered by society, government, etc different from the peace of Jesus?

Action:  Live peacefully today.  When something bothers you, just smile to yourself and think, “Maybe there is something good here that I just don’t see right now.”

Thought for Monday May 19

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.
Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.

John 14: 21 – 26  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

Do I love Jesus?  Do I keep his words?

Action:  Spend some time thinking about how you can love Jesus more and keep his words better.

Thought for Friday May 16

You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

John 14: 1 – 6  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

Do I ever think about what heaven will be like?  Am I content knowing Jesus has prepared a place for me?

Action:  Have a heavenly weekend.

Thought for Wednesday May 14

The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

John 15: 9 – 17  This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

Does this mean I have to love everybody?  How can I express love to others?

Action:  Find a way to express Jesus’ love to somebody you can’t stand.

Thought for Tuesday May 13

All you nations, praise the Lord.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
All you nations, praise the Lord.

 

John 10: 22 – 30  "How long are you going to keep us in suspense?  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Do I ever wish Jesus would speak more plainly to me?  Have I ever been in suspense waiting for him to show me something I should be doing?

Action:  Quit stalling.  Do something you know Jesus wants you to do even if he hasn’t spoken “plainly.”

Thought for Monday May 12

Athirst is my soul for the living God.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
Athirst is my soul for the living God.

John 10: 11 – 18  A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.  This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.

Do I approach my work as hired help or as a shepherd who cares?  Do I look to Jesus as my shepherd or just as God’s hired savior?

Action:   Invest your time working for things you care about.

Thought for Thursday May 8

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

 

John 6: 44 – 51  I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.

Why is Jesus talking about bread?  What is so special about bread?

Action:  Break bread with someone you wouldn’t normally eat with; sometime in the next week or so.

Thought for Tuesday May 6

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

 

John 6: 30 – 35  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

What do I hunger and thirst for?  Are my needs satisfied in Jesus?

Action:  Start working on something your community is really hungering for, and ask Jesus to help you.

Thought for Monday May 5

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

John 6: 22 – 29  Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

What am I working for? Do I expect to see the final results of all of my work in my lifetime?

Action:  Make a change in your life that you know bears witness to Christ even though you know you won’t actually be able to see the results.

Thought for Friday May 2

One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.

 

John 6: 1 – 15  Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?"

Do I ever think that what I have to offer isn’t enough to make a difference?  Have I ever seen my efforts multiplied into something great?

Action:  Give whatever you can and trust in God to multiply it.