Voice: Doreen
Today is Thursday, 8th of January. Whatever you are planning to do today, take a moment to commit your plans to the Lord.
We pray in this Season of Epiphany:
Blessed are you, sovereign God,
creator of heaven and earth,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your living Word, eternal in heaven,
assumed the frailty of our mortal flesh,
may the light of your love be born in us
to fill our hearts with joy as we sing:
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
Psalm 147:13-20
For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!
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.
Jeremiah 30 :10-11
10“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,
nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
11For I am with you to save you,
declares the Lord;
I will make a full end of all the nations
among whom I scattered you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
“I will discipline you in just measure.”
We reflect on these words from Jeremiah 30:10–11, a passage that holds together two truths we often struggle to keep in balance: God’s free grace and His loving discipline.
We know that God’s grace is offered to us apart from our merit. As St Paul writes,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
In other words, there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favour. Salvation begins entirely with God’s initiative. We are called simply to receive this grace by faith.
Yet in the Old Testament passage before us, we also see that this free grace does not exclude discipline. God’s people did not deserve restoration—and yet God promises to save them. At the same time, He says plainly:
“I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished” (Jeremiah 30:11).
The idea of discipline from the One who loves us is a deeply Christian teaching. Scripture affirms this clearly:
“The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).
Divine discipline is therefore never punitive in the sense of rejection. It is corrective, formative, and purposeful. Like a loving parent, God’s discipline does not seek to crush us, but to shape us—training us in holiness and drawing us toward maturity.
In the Anglican tradition, this is always understood within the larger framework of grace. Discipline does not earn God’s love; it flows from it. We are disciplined precisely because we belong to Him. As the Prayer Book reminds us, God “chastens whom he loves, and corrects every child whom he receives.”
While discipline may be painful for a season, it bears fruit. As Hebrews continues,
“Later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).
Few modern films portray the power of discipline, penance, and forgiveness as vividly as The Mission. In one unforgettable scene, Rodrigo Mendoza—burdened by the weight of murdering his own brother and other violent crimes—undertakes an act of severe penance. He drags his armour and weapons up steep mountains and cliffs to meet the indigenous community he once enslaved. His body strains under the load that mirrors the weight of his sin.
At one point, a man approaches him with a knife. Rodrigo assumes he is about to be killed. Instead, the man cuts the rope binding the heavy burden, letting it fall away. Rodrigo collapses in tears as Gabriel’s Oboe plays softly in the background. You can watch this video clip through this link.
It is a powerful image of forgiveness. It is also an insight into the role of penance. Grace is free—but deep healing often requires a costly, truthful journey. Discipline and penance give shape to repentance; they prepare the heart to receive mercy fully.
As the writer to the Hebrews exhorts us:
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him” (Hebrews 12:5).
God’s forgiveness is full and free. Yet the Lord may still “discipline you in just measure.” Do not despise it. Let His discipline change you deeply—for it is the work of love.
We end with the Prayer of St. Jerome, (342-420):
O good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to your fold again.
Deal favorably with me according to thy good pleasure,
till I may dwell in your house all the days of my life,
and praise you forever and ever with them that are there. Amen.
Be blessed by Gabriel’s Oboe from the film, The Mission.
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 info@mpcc.org.sg
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