Voice: Keith Lim
Today is Wednesday, 3rd September. Let us pause to gather our scattered thoughts and focus our spirit on His presence.
We read Psalm 119:105-112
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to keep your righteous rules.
107 I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
108 Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,
and teach me your rules.
109 I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever, to the end.
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.
Proverbs 9:13-18
13 The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Madam Folly’s Seduction
You are walking along the street, lost in thought. Suddenly, she appears—positioned outside her doorway, making sure she is seen.
You try to keep your eyes fixed ahead, but her voice cuts through:
“Turn in here, sir. This way,” Madam Folly calls.
Against your better judgment, you pause. You glance in her direction. She knows she has your attention.
“Stolen water is sweet. Bread eaten in secret is delicious.”
And indeed, there is a strange thrill to what is forbidden. The neighbour’s mango seems tastier when taken without permission. Since ancient times (remember Adam?), the human heart has been drawn to what God has forbidden.
We steal glances. We wander into places where folly waits. Some even boast in their secrecy, thinking no one will know. Yet how often have the seemingly wise and successful fallen, caught in the snare of what looked sweet but turned bitter? The law has caught up with them. Public shaming has exposed their moments of senselessness. It is all empty and foolish. And too late.
Those who lack sense are easily lured in. Like the prodigal son, we need to “come to our senses.”
For according to verse 18, Madam Folly’s banquet is a feast with the dead. Her house is not a home but a morgue. Behind her laughter lies the depths of Sheol itself.
While Proverbs speak poetically about human tendencies, Romans states it plainly in stark prose: “For the wages of sin is death.”
There is a foolish, senseless path which carries the stench of death. And there is a wise path that leads to a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Take a moment to pray that each day you will have the strength and wisdom to avoid the path of folly, and to walk in the way of life.
We close with the words of St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
Place your mind before the mirror of eternity!
Place your soul in the brilliance of glory!
Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance!
And transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation!
So that you too may feel what His friends feel as they taste the hidden sweetness which God Himself has reserved from the beginning for those who love Him. Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of God’s unchanging love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
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
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