Voice: Shivdas
Today is Tuesday, 9th of December. Let us gather our scattered thoughts and be still in His presence.
May Christ, the true, the only light
banish all darkness from our hearts and minds. Amen.
Psalm 32
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
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.
Isaiah 30:19-22
19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.
20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.
21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
For He came for us.
You may have heard it said that the Word of God in the Old Testament should be heard in her own voice. That is certainly true. We must hear Scripture coming to us from deep in time—written and spoken to people living in circumstances very different from our own. After all, as Cranmer reminds us in his well-loved collect, God has caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning.
That said, we must not forget the witness of the whole canon, with its two testaments: Christ came to fulfill the Old. The New does not cancel the Old, nor replace it—it completes it. With this in view, we can see how Christ has fulfilled the promises spoken in Isaiah 30:19–22, the passage read for us earlier.
Jesus is our Comforter, the One who wipes away our tears.
Jesus invites us to bring our needs to Him. Yes, we believe that our sovereign God has allowed “the bread of adversity and the water of affliction” into our lives. Bread and water were the constant companions of the exile—daily, ordinary, unescapable reminders of hardship. Yet God promised comfort. Likewise, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
God is no longer hidden from us. In Christ, the Father has been revealed. Jesus, who is Himself the Way, has shown us the way in which we should walk.
John writes, “You do not need anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things…” (1 John 2:27). John is not rejecting teaching, but rejecting new, secret, superior revelations. We do not need a new message, for in Christ, God has spoken clearly, finally, and fully. Ours is simply to trust and obey.
This is why we must cast away the false guides and godless idols from our lives—those “silver and gold-plated” things that so easily capture our loyalty and shape our desires.
So we read Isaiah first as it would have been heard by its first listeners—exiles longing for restoration. Then we listen again as Christ fulfills its promises and speaks to us today through these ancient and living words.
As we approach another Christmas, take time to look to Christ—the Comforter, the Revealer, the Way.
For He came for us.
We end with the Collect written by Cranmer:
Blessed Lord,
who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them;
that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word,
we may embrace, and ever hold fast,
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Be blessed by this unusual carol, O Come all Ye Unfaithful
O come, all you unfaithful
Come, weak and unstable
Come, know you are not alone
O come, barren and waiting ones
Weary of praying, come
See what your God has done
Christ is born, Christ is born
Christ is born for you
O come, bitter and broken
Come with fears unspoken
Come, taste of His perfect love
O come, guilty and hiding ones
There is no need to run
See what your God has done
Christ is born, Christ is born
Christ is born for you
He’s the Lamb who was given
Slain for our pardon
His promise is peace
For those who believe
He’s the Lamb who was given
Slain for our pardon
His promise is peace
For those who believe
So come, though you have nothing
Come, He is the offering
Come, see what your God has done
Christ is born, Christ is born
Christ is born for you
Christ is born, Christ is born
Christ is born for you
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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