Voice: Emily
Today is Wednesday, 23rd of July. Let us pause to gather our scattered thoughts and focus our spirit on His presence.
We read Psalm 110:1-4
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.
4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
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.
The Scripture Reading is Ezekiel 3:4-11
4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
Reflection
A Hard Head and a Stubborn Heart
Ezekiel was not called to be a missionary sent to foreign lands. He was called to be a prophet to his own people—a far more difficult task. For his own people, God says, have “a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.”
They had minds that refused to listen, even when faced with truth and reason. Pride had hardened their thinking to the point that change seemed impossible.
Their wills were entrenched. They refused to acknowledge sin as sin. Repentance was not on their agenda. Submission to God was out of the question.
So God strengthened Ezekiel:
“Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead.” (Ezekiel 3:9a)
The prophet had to be tougher than the people he was sent to. He had to be more persistent, more courageous, and ready to bear rejection.
“A hard head and a stubborn heart.”
Could that describe us, too?
Pride and self-conceit can blind us to truth. Even when God is speaking clearly, we may not hear. Pride clouds our judgment. It blinds our spiritual vision. And when we cannot see, we are in danger of being lost.
This is why Jesus urges us to remain humble—to be childlike in spirit. A child is open, teachable, and quick to trust. That is what God is looking for in us.
Could it be that God is trying to reach you now?
Is He sending a hard word—or even a hard messenger—to break through your resistance?
Sometimes we get angry at the hardness of the message or the messenger. But perhaps that hardness is God’s mercy at work. Perhaps it’s His way of breaking through something just as hard inside us.
The “Ezekiels” in our lives are not signs of God’s judgment, but of His grace. At least—not yet. As long as we can still hear the message, there is time. Time to return. Time to repent. Time to be healed.
So let us pray:
“Lord, keep my mind childlike. Keep my heart soft and broken before You. Do not let pride make me blind. Speak to me—again and again—until I hear.”
We end with this collect:
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment,
and light riseth up in darkness for the godly:
Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties,
the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do,
that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices,
and that in thy light we may see light,
and in thy straight path may not stumble;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this song, I shall not want
From the love of my own comfort
From the fear of having nothing
From a life of worldly passions
Deliver me, O God
From the need to be understood
From the need to be accepted
From the fear of being lonely
Deliver me, O God
Deliver me, O God
And I shall not want, I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
From the fear of serving others
From the fear of death or trial
From the fear of humility
Deliver me, O God
Deliver me, O God
And I shall not want, I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
And I shall not want, I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
I shall not want, I shall not want
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 terrywg@gmail.com
Daily Devotion 
Leave a comment