Thought for Thursday October 1

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 Wednesday September 30

Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
“Sing for us the songs of Zion!”
Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!

Luke 9: 57 – 62  And to another Jesus said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and …”

How would I finish that sentence?   What do I put ahead of Jesus?

Action:  Take one step to let go of whatever holds you back from following Jesus.

Thought for Tuesday September 29

In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

John 1: 47 – 51  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.”

What would Jesus say about me?  What would I want him to say?

Action:  Work on closing the gap between the two questions above.  If there is no gap, you must be perfect and should take the rest of the week off.

Thought for Monday September 28

The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the Lord:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Luke 9: 46 – 50   Then John said in reply,  “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name  and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” Jesus said to him,  “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Who is for Jesus and who is against?  How do I tell the difference?

Action:  Show your support to someone who is trying to do good.

Thought for Friday September 25

Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Luke 9: 18 – 22  Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

Doesn’t this sound pretty harsh?  Why would Jesus react this way to the right answer?

Action:  Look up the word rebuke and think of a situation where it might be appropriate.

Thought for Thursday September 24

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.

Luke 9: 7 – 9  Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed

Have I ever done anything that perplexed other people?  Have someone else’s actions perplexed me?

Action:  Do something to express your faith that will perplex other people.

Thought for Wednesday September 23

Blessed be God, who lives forever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
Blessed be God, who lives forever.

Luke 9: 1 – 6  Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Why did Jesus bring them all together for this?  Is this power something that should be entrusted to 12 individuals?

Action:  Send one of your elected representatives a letter this week just to tell him that you respect the complexity of the issues he is facing and appreciate his service.

Thought for Tuesday September 22

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.

 Luke 8: 19 – 21  He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

 Is this as easy as it sounds?  How am I doing?

Action:  Hear the word of God and act on it.

Thought for Monday September 21

Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
Their message goes out through all the earth.

 

Matthew 9: 9 – 13  “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

What does whom I eat with say about who I am?   With whom do I eat?

Action:  Eat with someone different this week.

Thought for Friday September 18

Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Luke 8: 1 – 3  Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.

In how many different places have I experienced the word of God being proclaimed?  Do I see it proclaimed more in preaching or in action?

Action:  Proclaim the word of God everywhere you go in words or in actions.

Thought for Thursday September 17

How great are the works of the Lord!
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
How great are the works of the Lord!

 

Luke 7: 36 – 50  Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears.  Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.

 

Am I gracious enough to let people express their love?  Could I ever be passionate enough to do this for someone?

 

Action:  Do something loving for 3 people today.

Thought for Tuesday September 16

How great are the works of the Lord!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
How great are the works of the Lord!

Luke 7: 31 – 35  For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

Do I often find fault with the messengers of the Gospel?  Is it easier to reject the message if I can reject the messengers?

Action:  Spend a little time listening to [or reading] someone you typically reject and see what value you can find in the message.

Thought for Tuesday September 15

I will walk with blameless heart.
My eyes are upon the faithful of the land,
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in the way of integrity
shall be in my service.
I will walk with blameless heart.

Luke 2: 33 – 35  Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

What destiny do I think my parents might have chosen for me?  What would I wish for my children?

Action: Chose a destiny for yourself and begin working toward it.  [I assume you will chose a good, Christ-centered one]

Thought for Monday September 14

Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
 Do not forget the works of the Lord!

John 3: 13 – 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Do I spend my time working to fix [save] bad situations or just complaining [condemning] about them?   Do I see a lot of condemning in my society?

Action: Quit complaining about everyone else and go do something good.

Thought for Friday September 11

You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Luke 6: 39 – 42  Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”

What am I blind to?  Do I have people who lead me through my blind spots?

Action:  Be a leader for someone who is blind.

Thought for Thursday September 10

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

 

Luke 6: 27 – 38  Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Who is my enemy?  How much respect do I show for people who disagree with me?

Action:  Pick any current controversial issue and write down 5 positive things about the side you oppose.  If you can’t find 5 good things, do some research.

Thought for Wednesday September 9

 The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.

The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

Luke 6: 20 – 26  Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.

Have I ever been so deep in despair that I thought I would never be cheerful again?  What gets me through the sad times?

Action:  Make a list of powerful spiritual memories/experiences that you can look to at those times when you are in despair.

 

Thought for Tuesday September 8

With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”
With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Matthew 1: 1- 23  Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.  When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

What are the best qualities a parent can have?   Do I try to demonstrate these same qualities in dealing with others?

Action:  Call your Mother (or Father, Aunt, Uncle, cousin, teacher or friend) and let her know she is important to you.

Thought for Thursday September 3

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 5: 1 – 11  He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.

If I were at the end of a hard day, soaking wet, with nothing to show for my effort would I be inclined to just head back out?  Do I often feel like my faith is asking me to do just that?

Action:  Prepare yourself mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally for the long hard day.  

Thought for Wednesday September 2

I trust in the mercy of God forever.
I, like a green olive tree
in the house of God,
Trust in the mercy of God
forever and ever.
I trust in the mercy of God forever.

Luke 4: 38 – 44  At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.

If Jesus cured me with a touch of his hand, how would I feel the next time I got sick?  Would I really appreciate the gift of healing?

Action:  Do something for your health today in thanksgiving for everything Jesus does for you.