Voice: Jennifer
Today is Tuesday, 6th of January. Today is Epiphany Day which starts the Season of Epiphany. May Christ, the true, the only light banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.
Psalm 73:16-26
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength[b] of my heart and my portion forever.
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.
Colossians 4:2-9
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Tychicus
Paul did not minister or live alone. He served alongside close friends and companions. One of them was Tychicus, whom Paul described as “a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.”
Tychicus is mentioned on four other occasions in the New Testament. In Acts 20:4, he travelled with Paul on his missionary journey. He was sent to Ephesus to encourage the church and to explain Paul’s situation (Ephesians 6:21–22). In Titus 3:12, he was considered as a possible replacement for Titus in Crete. And in 2 Timothy 4:12, Paul simply wrote, “Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.”
Yet, we hardly know Tychicus. He was not in the forefront of early church ministry. But we know enough to see that he was a faithful friend of Paul—one whom Paul affectionately called “my brother.”
He was also described as a faithful minister. In our day, when “minister” often implies a paid profession, we may imagine Tychicus wearing a collar, holding a Bible, and preaching from a pulpit.
But the Greek word Paul used is diakonos, which simply means servant.
In other words, Tychicus served in all kinds of ordinary yet essential ways for the sake of the Gospel. He may well have taught and explained the faith, having learned from Paul at close quarters—speaking of Christ, the risen Saviour, whenever opportunity arose. But he was not necessarily a “preacher” as we imagine today. He assisted Paul practically: administering matters, carrying letters and funds, running errands, and representing Paul when Paul himself could not be present.
Tychicus was faithful, reliable, and trustworthy.
We can agree that few commendations are more meaningful than being told that one is faithful. Think about this carefully: How do you want to be most known? What would you want written on your epitaph?
Surely faithfulness—or words close to it—should rank highly.
Faithfulness means showing up when it is costly, staying when it is inconvenient, and remaining true when no one is watching. Like Tychicus, it is quiet, unspectacular, and deeply precious in the sight of both God and others.
Scripture does not say, “Well done, good and successful servant,” but “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Faithfulness measures a life not by how much we achieved, but by how truly we loved, served, and trusted God with what we were given.
So the question lingers with us: when our work is finished and our name is spoken for the last time, will it be said that we were faithful—to Christ, to His people, and to the calling entrusted to us?
That may be the most enduring legacy any of us can leave.
Tychicus leaves us with a quiet but powerful example as we begin another year.
We end with this Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this song, Song for the Sabbath
written by Hilary Lim
performed by Calvin Gan
Can we lay our burdens down
Lose our striving to be found
By the One who bears our load
Can we let our plans fall through
Walk another mile or two
With a stranger on the road
Our Father feeds the sparrows
The hours and times are His
We can leave the land to rest
For He gives what we need today
We can live with open hands
To bless the ones who come our way
Come our way
Can we give until it hurts
Love our neighbour in the dirt
Of the brokenness we share
Can we turn the other cheek
Be gentle with the weak
Live more humbly than we dare
We’re seeds that live by dying
Our Father makes us grow
We can leave the land to rest
For He gives what we need today
We can live with open hands
To bless the ones who come our way
Come our way
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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