Voice: Ying Ying
Today is Monday, 17th of November.
We pray:
Almighty and everlasting Father,
we thank you that you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day and the start of another week.
Keep us from falling into sin or running into danger;
order us in all our doings;
and guide us to do always what is right in your eyes:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
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.
God Is My Refuge
In Psalm 46:1 the psalmist begins with three attributes of God:
God is our refuge; God is our strength; God is a very present help in trouble.
He then paints those attributes with three moving scenes.
1. Nature in Upheaval
What could feel more secure than the ground beneath our feet? Trees grow from it; buildings rest upon it; seas and rivers are carried by the earth. Yet the ground itself can betray us—earthquakes, tsunamis, the sea swallowing coasts—remind us that even the things we trust can become threats. The sights and sounds of such upheaval are terrifying.
And in the middle of that terror the psalmist says, “God is our refuge.” We can hide in him; in him we find a deeper, eternal security that the earth cannot take away.
2. The City by the River
The scene softens into flowing streams and a city built beside them. Here the danger is different: not the fury of nature but the threat of aggressive neighbors, of conflict at the gates. Yet because God is present in the city, the inhabitants need not be afraid. God’s presence makes the city secure even when human danger presses in.
3. The Wasteland
The third scene is quieter but more solemn. God issues two commands.
The first bids us: “Come and see.” Look closely. Gaze on the aftermath of human pride—battlefields, burnt weapons, the wind that carries away what men once boasted of. Human might has been reduced to dust and rust.
Then God issues a second command: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Be still—stop striving, stop clinging to your schemes. Rest in the strength of God. Let his sovereignty quiet your fears and reorder your heart.
What a wonderful psalm.
Where do you feel shaken—by forces beyond your control, by conflict, or by the rubble of human pride?
Pause.
Come and see.
Then be still: trust the One who is your refuge, your strength, and your very present help in trouble.
We end with this Collect :
Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he 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 song, Forever:
The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon Him
One final breathe He gave
As heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken
The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting
Our resurrected King
Has rendered you defeated
Forever He is glorified
Forever He is lifted high
Forever He is risen
He is alive, He is alive
We sing Hallelujah, we sing Hallelujah
We sing Hallelujah, the Lamb has overcome
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 terrywong@anglican.org.sg
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