Thought for Tuesday 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.

Revelations 7: 2 - 4, 9 - 14     After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”

1 John 3: 1 - 3   Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.

Matthew 5: 1 – 12  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

Is All Saints Day an important feast for me; i.e. do I make a real effort to observe it?  Who comes to mind on this feast?

Action:  Pray for all of the saints you know, living and dead, canonized and un-canonized, and ask them to pray for you too.

Thought for Monday October 31

In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.

In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Philippians 2: 1 – 4  Brothers and sisters: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests,  but also everyone for those of others.

Do I find any encouragement in Christ or any solace in love?  When am I selfish; when am I a  humble servant? 

Action:  Look out for others.

Thought for Friday October 28

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.

 

Ephesians 2:19 – 22  Brothers and sisters:  You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

Does my faith make me feel like I am part of something – a citizen of the household of God?   What responsibilities do I have as a citizen?

Action:  Be a good citizen and help others find their place in the household of God. 

Too vague? – Make a donation to www.stjude.org or another organization that is working on “The Impossible” that only citizens of the household would even attempt.

Thought for Thursday October 27

Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

 

Ephesians 6: 10 – 20 Brothers and sisters: Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Does having faith and knowing God make me feel strong?  Am I ready to face whatever the Devil may throw at me?

Action:  Be strong, have faith, stand firm, read the word of God, pray, and be confident that God will help you.

Thought for Wednesday October 26

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   “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

What kind of strength does it take to go through the narrow gate into the Kingdom of heaven?  What am I doing to build up my strength?

Action:  Try to identify some baggage you know won’t fit through the narrow gate and start the hard process of giving it up.

Thought for Tuesday October 25

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 24

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.

Ephesians 4: 32 – 5: 8  Brothers and sisters: Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Am I kind and compassionate?  What does it take for me to forgive someone?

Action:  Be kind to one another.

Thought for Friday October 21

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;  one Body and one Spirit,  as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Do I bear others with love?  Do I strive to preserve unity?

Action:    Live in a manner worthy of the call you have received.

Thought for Thursday October 20

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Ephesians 3: 14 - 21   Brothers and sisters: I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Am I rooted and grounded in love?   Do I have some other roots that compete with love?

Action:  Spend a little time at the end of each day reviewing the times during the day when you were loving and the times you were a jerk.  See if you can come up with a plan to increase the times you are loving and reduce the rest.

Thought for Wednesday October 19

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.”

With what have I been entrusted?  Do I feel like God is always demanding more from me?

Action:  Do what God asks you to do.

Thought for Tuesday October 18

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

 

2 Timothy 4:10 - 17   Beloved:  Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.  Luke is the only one with me…. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;… At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me.  May it not be held against them!  But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,

Do I ever feel like I have been deserted?  Who stands by me at those times?

Actions:  Stand by someone who is feeling abandoned.

Thought for Monday October 17

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

 

Luke 12: 13 – 21  There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"

What am I trying to store for the future?  What do I think I need to rest, eat, drink and be merry?

Action:  Make a plan for this week so that you reach a point where you can rest and be merry.

Thought for Thursday October 13

 

With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

 

Luke 11: 47 – 54  The Lord said: "Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed.

What is the value of building/creating a lasting memorial?  How useful is a memorial to someone who did some great work, if the work is not continuing?

Action:  The next time you see an historic site, a memorial, a statue, etc. ask yourself if you are bearing witness to the same values the site is meant to honor.

Thought for Tuesday October 11

 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
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.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

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.

To what am I a slave – money, work, television, fashion, my Volvo, inertia, mon vert iPad Air, my reputation, a need to be the center of attention, a need to be invisible, possessions, alcohol, gambling, college football, fishing (which is acceptable), health, food, exercise…?   What am I not free to do because of the slavery I have accepted?

Action:  Reread the questions, examine your conscience and come up with real answers as uncomfortable as they may be – then make a plan to free yourself.

Thought for Monday October 10

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 queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.

How far will I go to seek wisdom?  Who do I think of as the wisest person alive today?

Action:  The next time someone asks you for advice, consider whether you have the gift of wisdom for that topic and give your advice accordingly.

Thought for Friday October 7

The Lord will remember his covenant forever.
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 forever.

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

Am I worried? 

Action:  Win or lose, plan to reach out to the other side after these elections are over  and work together on the common ground.

Thought for Thursday October 6

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 I have friends like this?  Am I the kind of friend someone else would come to like this? 

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

Thought for Wednesday October 5

Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

Jonah 4: 1 – 11  Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry that God did not carry out the evil he threatened against Nineveh.

Have I ever been mad because someone else didn’t “get what he deserved”?    Do any of God’s children deserve evil?

Action:   Pray that something really great happens to the worst person you know.

Thought for Tuesday October 4

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.

Who welcomes me?   Am I a welcoming person?

Action:  Greet someone today with as much sincere enthusiasm as a dog does.  (Tomorrow you can act like a cat.)

Thought for Monday October 3

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?  Have I ever experienced being passed by on the opposite side?

Action:  Be a good Samaritan this week.