Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Thought for Thursday September 1


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.


Colossians 1: 9 – 14  Brothers and sisters:  From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.


Do I have all of the gifts mentioned here?  Are they what I ask God to give me?

Action:  Give somebody a gift today, even if he/she doesn’t recognize it as such.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Thought for Wednesday August 31


I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
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 for ever.


Luke 4: 38 – 44  Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her.  He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.  She got up immediately and waited on them.


What is my usual attitude when I am sick?  If I were suddenly cured would I immediately start serving someone else?


Action: Prepare yourself for illness or injury – get a flu shot, a first aid kit, CPR training, a physical, etc.  – Remember your illnesses have an impact on other people.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Thought for Tuesday August 30


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

 
1 Thessalonians 5: 1 -6, 9 - 11  Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.


How often do I encourage other people?   How often do I need encouragement?


Action:   Encourage one another.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Thought for Monday August 29


The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.


Mark 6: 17 – 29  Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody.  When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.

 
What prophets do I listen to?  Do I sometimes avoid listening to people because I am afraid they will challenge my beliefs?


Action:  Listen to a viewpoint or opinion that is different from your own and see if you can recognize any similar values. 

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Thought for Friday August 26


Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
Rejoice in the Lord, you just!


Matthew 25: 1 – 13  Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.  At midnight, there was a cry, "Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!"


Did I take yesterday’s message (Stay Awake!) seriously?   Do I take it well when I get awakened?


Action:   Do something to wake someone else up.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Thought for Thursday August 25


Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
 
Matthew 24: 42 – 51  Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake!”
 
Have I ever dozed off spiritually or morally?  Do I ever get tired of trying to live in perfect accord with the message of Jesus?
 
Action:   The next time you feel yourself nodding off, call or visit one of the holy people you know for inspiration.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Thought for Wednesday August 24


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 1: 45 – 51  Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”  But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Do I ever form opinions about people based on something as trivial as where they are from?  Have I ever come to really respect someone I had originally dismissed?

Action:  Give someone you have written off another chance.

 

Monday, August 22, 2016

Thought for Tuesday August 23


You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
 You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Matthew 23: 23 – 26  You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity.

How much does my society value mercy and fidelity?  Have I been doing anything special to observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy?

Action:  Be merciful and faithful.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Thought for Monday August 22


Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

2 Thessalonians 1:1 - 12   We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater. Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions you endure.

How often do I pause to give myself a little credit for having faith, growing in love and enduring through afflictions?  How often do I give anyone else credit for doing the same?

Action:  Thank someone for something today and give yourself a treat.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Thought for Friday August 19


Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
They cried to the LORD in their distress;
from their straits he rescued them.
And he led them by a direct way
to reach an inhabited city.
Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.

Matthew 22: 34 – 40  He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Do I really have any questions about this?  Do I live by these commandments?

Action:  Love God and your neighbor.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Thought for Thursday August 18


Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Matthew 22: 1 – 14  “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.”

Why would someone refuse to come to a wedding feast?  Do I sometimes refuse to participate in something for no good reason?

Action:   Don’t turn down the good things God offers you.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Thought for Wednesday August 17


The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Matthew 20: 1 – 16  Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’

Am I standing around doing less than I could be doing?  Is it too late for me to get started working for the Kingdom of God?

Action:  Start working on something you keep putting off.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Thought for Tuesday August 16


The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
 
Matthew 19: 23 – 30  Jesus said to his disciples:  “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven.  Again I say to you,  it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”

What about being rich interferes with a spiritual life?  Do I have any kind of wealth that interferes with my spiritual life?
 
Action:   Give thanks for the wealth you have and for some of the wealth you don’t have

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Thought for Monday August 15


My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.

Luke 1: 39 – 56  Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

If God had told me I was going to have his kid, who would I go talk to first?  Who I feel confident he was going to take care of me?

Action:  Live with Mary’s confidence.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Thought for Friday August 12


You have turned from your anger.
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 have turned from your anger.

Ezekiel 16: 59 – 63  Thus says the LORD: I will deal with you according to what you have done, you who despised your oath, breaking a covenant.

Do I want God to deal with me according to what I have done?  Do I think I have done anything to deserve God’s unconditional love?

Action:  If you have broken a promise, try to make up for it.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Thought for Thursday August 11


Alleluia!
Why is it, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
You mountains, that you skip like rams?
You hills, like the lambs of the flock?
Alleluia!

Matthew 18: 21 – 19: 1  That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.   When he began the accounting,  a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.

What does it say about the king that he extended credit in the first place?  To whom am I in debt?

Action:   Do a favor for someone without expecting anything in return.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Thought for Wednesday August 10


Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

John 12: 24 – 26  Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”

What have I seen other people give up for the sake of bearing fruit for others?  What am I willing to give in order to bear more fruit? 

Action:  Give up something (an hour of TV, one Saturday a month, an hour of cleaning your house, facebooking one evening a week, etc.) so you can bear more fruit.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Thought for Tuesday August 9


How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
How sweet to my taste is your promise!

 
Matthew 18: 1 – 5, 10, 12 - 14     If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?

Would I leave the 99 and go after the one?  What would I do when I found the stray?

Action:  Leave your comfort zone of the 99, and take a risk reaching out to one who has gone astray.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Thought for Monday August 8


Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Matthew 17: 22 – 27  Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?  From their subjects or from foreigners?”  When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him,  “Then the subjects are exempt.


What are the 10 best things taxes have been used to pay for?  What are the 10 worst things taxes are used for?


Action:  Use your time, talent and/or treasure to improve a situation that tax money just can’t help.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Thought for Friday August 5


It is I who deal death and give life.
“Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them.”
It is I who deal death and give life.

Matthew 16: 24 – 28  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Is there a part of my life I would do well to lose?   What would I like to find for my life?

Action:  If you are missing something in your life, start looking for it.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Thought for Thursday August 4


Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Jeremiah 31: 31 – 34   I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts;  I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,  for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

Who taught me to know God?  Do I really believe God will “remember my sin no more”?

Action:  Teach someone to know God or go to Confession – your choice.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Thought for Wednesday August 3


Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
But soon they forgot his works;
they waited not for his counsel.
They gave way to craving in the desert
and tempted God in the wilderness.
Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Matthew 15: 21 – 28  She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”


Do I have enough dignity to ask for more than scraps?  Do I have enough humility to accept scraps?

Action:  Adopt a dog today.  – Bark suggested that one.  Marsha’s suggestion: Give the best you have to offer today even if it is only scraps.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Thought for Tuesday August 2


I used Tuesday’s reading on Monday, so here are Monday’s readings.  I’ll get back on track Wednesday.

 

Lord, teach me your statutes.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
Lord, teach me your statutes.

Matthew 14; 13 – 21  When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.

Doesn’t it sound like Jesus wanted to be alone?  Why didn’t he just tell these people to go away?

Action:  Make an effort to put up with people who need love even when you feel like you have nothing left to give.