Daily Devotion

He who is in you is Greater

Audio

Today is Thursday, 5th of June. Let’s be still in His presence.

We start with this morning collect:

Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

We praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 113:

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!

² Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore!
³ From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!

⁴ The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
⁵ Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,
⁶ who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?
⁷ He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
⁸ to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹ He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.

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The Scripture Reading is taken from 1 John 4:1-6:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

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Reflection

In the world we live in today, we are constantly being reminded to stay alert—whether against fake news, misinformation, or scams. It’s often hard to discern what is true and what is not. And when we fall prey to deception, the consequences can be devastating.

But as Ecclesiastes reminds us, there is nothing new under the sun. In this passage from 1 John 4, we are warned about the spiritual equivalent: “many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Just as in the digital world, in our spiritual lives, openness without discernment can expose us to harmful ideas or misleading teachings.

Some theological errors may have limited impact. But others can be deeply destructive to our faith and lives. A simple search on YouTube or Google will turn up a vast range of views on nearly any spiritual topic—some helpful, some misguided, and some downright dangerous.

There is no foolproof formula for discernment. But 1 John reminds us to stay close to God. The more time we spend in His presence—in prayer, in His Word, with His people—the clearer His voice becomes. We develop a deeper spiritual sensitivity—able to perceive not just the surface, but the spirit behind the message. Other parts of Scripture also point us to the importance of sound teaching and spiritual maturity as keys to discernment. We grow in wisdom not in isolation, but as part of the Body of Christ. We were never meant to figure it all out alone. The Church—through pastors, teachers, and fellow believers—is a vital safeguard, helping us to test and sift what we hear.

Ultimately, we are given this profound assurance: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” We may feel small and unsure at times, but our confidence rests not in our own knowledge, but in the One who lives in us.

He watches over His children—and that gives us hope and courage. Amen.

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We end with the Collect for today, which is about the Ascension and anticipates Pentecost:

O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us and exalt us
to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you, 
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Link to today’s full Morning office