Voice: Doreen
Today is Wednesday, 15th of October. Let us pause to gather our scattered thoughts and focus our hearts on His presence.
Psalm 77: 6-14
6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;
let me meditate in my heart.”
Then my spirit made a diligent search:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
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.
Mark 14:32-42
32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Could He have felt lonely?
Jesus was human. He could be hungry. Thirsty. Weary.
But did He ever feel lonely?
Many times in the Gospels, we see Jesus alone — sometimes by choice, sometimes by circumstance. On some occasions, He would withdraw into the desert or go up a mountain so that He could be alone and pray to His Father.
The impression we sometimes get is that Jesus never needed human companionship. We imagine that the divine, having assumed a human body, would not need what humans need. That Jesus was human only in bodily function and appearance — but that His inner being, the person within that body, was purely divine. We assume His weaknesses were merely physical, not emotional or spiritual. That He was fully human in body, but not being.
But this view begins to crumble when we encounter Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane.
He asked sleepy Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me for one hour?” (Mark 14:37).
We might think He was scolding Peter for being weak. But Matthew’s Gospel clarifies:
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38)
In that night of agony, Jesus felt truly alone. His three closest disciples may be around but they could not stay awake. And only hours later, He would cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” At that point, Jesus experienced the deepest loneliness — feeling abandoned even by His Father.
The writer of Hebrews tells us:
“For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest…” (Hebrews 2:17)
Jesus was fully human in every way. This truth dispels the notion that He was only partly human.
Have you been feeling lonely?
Suffering can intensify that feeling — when you sense that no one can truly share your pain or understand what you are going through.
But hear again the promise from Hebrews 4:15:
“We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are—yet without sin.”
My brothers and sisters, whatever you may be going through — Jesus understands.
He has walked the lonely path. And He has made a promise that no human can make to another:
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
We pray the Collect for the day:
Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
In closing, be blessed by this hymn, I need Thee
I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior!
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.
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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