Thought for Wednesday November 27

Give glory and eternal praise to him.

"Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever."

Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Luke 21: 12 - 19 For I [Jesus] myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking.

  

Has Jesus ever helped me find just the right words when I didn’t know what to say?  Have I ever heard Jesus speak to me through someone else?

  

Action:  Trust Jesus to help you speak to all of the annoying relatives and acquaintances you will run into for the next month or so.

Thought for Tuesday November 26

Give glory and eternal praise to him.

"All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever."

Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Luke 21: 5 – 11  While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here– the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

What do I most like or not like to see in churches?   What kinds of things help me to worship and pray?

  

Action:  Decorate your house for Advent in a way that will really help you focus on the season.

Thought for Monday November 25

Glory and praise for ever!

"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,

praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."

Glory and praise for ever!

Luke 21: 1 – 4  He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

If I won the lottery, would I give a large donation to charity?  If I did, would that donation be better than what I am giving now?

Action:  Give until it hurts – make a donation that is a little more than is easy for you.  It doesn’t have to be money – blood is in great demand at this time of year, plenty of cats and dogs need homes, shelters need volunteers…

Thought for Friday November 22

We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours.”
We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

Luke 19: 45 – 48  The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.

Doesn’t “put him to death” seem like a pretty extreme way of responding to someone you disagree with?  Am I violent about any issue?

Action:  Pray for the people who turn to violence because they can't imagine another solution.

Thought for Wednesday November 20

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

  

Luke 19: 11 – 28  Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,’

Is there anything God has given me that he wants me to keep hidden away?  Has God given me anything that I am hiding?

Action:  Invest your talents in changing the world, or at least the part of it that is around you.

Thought for Tuesday November 19

The Lord upholds 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.
The Lord upholds me.

Luke 19: 1 – 10  Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,  was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.

What keeps me from seeing who Jesus really is?  What am I going to do about it?

Action:  Do whatever you have to do to see Jesus.

Thought for Monday November 18

Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

Luke 18: 35 – 43  He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Have I seen a miracle?  What miracle would I most like to see happen?

Action:  Work to improve some situation that “would need a miracle to fix.”

Thought for Thursday November 14

Your word is forever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
 giving understanding to the simple.
Your word is forever, O Lord.

Luke 17: 20 – 25  “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

If I can’t observe the kingdom of God, how am I supposed to know it is really here?  What difference does it make?

Action:  Look for signs of the Kingdom of God and point them out to others.

Thought for Wednesday November 13

Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
Defend the lowly and the fatherless;
render justice to the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the lowly and the poor;
from the hand of the wicked deliver them.
Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.

Luke 17: 11 – 19  As they were going they were cleansed.   And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.

Am I so used to my afflictions that I wouldn’t even notice if I were cured?   Have you ever thought, “I would do more “good” if I didn’t have [some particular problem].”?

 Action:  Start trying to do something that you think you can’t do – ask Jesus to help.

Thought for Tuesday November 12

I will bless the Lord at all times.
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.
I will bless the Lord at all times.

  

Luke 17: 7 – 10 When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’

Do I think I am special because I do some good things?  Do I expect to do all I have been commanded to do?

Action:  Do what God has commanded you to do.

Thought for Friday November 8

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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 revealed to the nations his saving power. 

Luke 16: 1 – 8  Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.”

What am I squandering?  Am I a good steward of the resources entrusted to me?

Action:  Pick something you tend to waste (time, food, money, energy) and make a real effort to conserve it and put it to a positive use.

Thought for Wednesday November 6

Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;

he is gracious and merciful and just.

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

Luke 14: 25 – 43  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?

  

What cross am I carrying?  Am I planning to carry it to the completion of my mission?

  

Action:  Do something to energize yourself so you can continue to carry your cross.

Thought for Tuesday November 5

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.

Romans 12: 5 – 16  Let love be sincere.

What does sincere mean?  How sincere am I in my day-to-day dealings with people?

Action:  Pick something:

Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

Thought for Monday November 4

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I am afflicted and in pain;

let your saving help, O God, protect me.

I will praise the name of God in song,

and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Luke 14: 12  - 14  Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;  blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.

Would the world be different if people were less focused on what they can get out of a situation?  How would I be different if I were?

Action:   Do something really special for someone anonymously.