Daily Devotion

Voice: Li Huan

Take me to the place where you are

Today is Thursday, 3rd of July. We also celebrate the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle. Take a moment to be still in His presence.

We pray this collect:

Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We praise and pray in the words of Psalm 92:1-8

It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
² proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
³ to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp.

⁴ For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
⁵ How great are your works, Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!
⁶ Senseless people do not know,
    fools do not understand,
⁷ that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.

⁸ But you, Lord, are forever exalted.

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.

We will read two passages of Scripture:

1 Samuel 2: 19-21

¹⁹ Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home.  ²⁰ You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 
²¹ But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”

John 11:1-16

⁸ “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Reflection

You may have heard of the label “Doubting Thomas.” Thomas has long been remembered this way because of his initial refusal to believe the news of Jesus’ resurrection.

But if we look earlier in the Gospel of John, we see a much fuller picture of Thomas — not as a skeptic, but as a God-fearing Jew and a deeply loyal follower of Jesus.

When Jesus decided to return to Bethany, knowing well that danger and death awaited Him, it was Thomas who encouraged his fellow disciples with quiet resolve:

“Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16)

This echoes the words of Ittai the Gittite in today’s Old Testament reading:

“As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”

Thomas’ devotion was clear. He was ready to stand by Jesus in life or in death.

Yet when Jesus was on the cross, Thomas did not die with Him. Did Thomas change his mind? Or was there no opportunity?

Perhaps the best way to understand Thomas is this: his devotion to Jesus was genuine. His desire was simply to be with his Lord, even in death if necessary. But his loyalty wasn’t some reckless gung-ho spirit or blind fanaticism.

It wasn’t about fighting for a cause, proving something, or earning favor. Thomas loved Jesus.

We see this again when, at the Last Supper, Jesus spoke of returning to the Father. It was Thomas who voiced the question everyone else was thinking:

“Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

It wasn’t doubt — it was longing. He wanted to stay close to his Lord.

And yes, Thomas struggled to believe in the resurrection without seeing Jesus for himself. But when the risen Christ stood before him, Thomas didn’t argue or delay. He exclaimed from the depths of his heart:

“My Lord and my God!”

His faith was never about an idea, or a cause — it was about relationship. It was about knowing and loving Jesus.

Pause for a moment.
Ask yourself honestly: Do I truly love the Lord?

It’s the same question Jesus asked Peter after the resurrection. Because unless our service flows from love for Him, all our efforts risk becoming empty zeal.

We pray this special Collect:

Almighty and eternal God,
who, for the firmer foundation of our faith,
allowed your holy apostle Thomas to doubt the resurrection of your Son
till word and sight convinced him:
grant to us, who have not seen, that we also may believe
and so confess Christ as our Lord and our God;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Be blessed by this song by Don Moen, I want to be where You are

Link to today’s Morning Office

About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.

Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.

For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg