Voice: Doreen
Today is Friday, 16th of January. A new day lies open before us. Let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6 The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!
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.
Genesis 4:1-16
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.”
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
“You shall be a fugitive…”
We are hardly into the book of Genesis before we encounter the record of the first murder. In response, God said, “When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
These words mark one of the most tragic moments in Genesis. Cain, who was meant to live off the ground, now finds the very earth resisting him. The soil that once yielded fruit will no longer give him its strength. His vocation is fractured.
Sin does not only break relationships between people; it disrupts our relationship with creation itself. Our calling to work and creative gifts are now becomes burdened with frustration and futility.
But the deeper judgment is relational. Cain becomes a fugitive and a wanderer. The Hebrew words suggest restlessness, instability, and displacement. Cain moaned, “From Your face, I am hidden.” In the Aaronic blessing, it says that “the Lord turns His face towards you.” (Numbers 6:26) It is the opposite for Cain here. The curse is exile from God’s countenance.
He is no longer at home—neither with God, nor with others, nor even with himself.
This wandering echoes what we have already seen in Adam and Eve hiding from God. Sin produces movement away from presence, away from communion, away from God. We become people “on the run.” We become fugitives.
The human story after the Fall is the story of wandering hearts. As St Augustine observed, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
This is the story of our life. Disrupted by sin, we search for God. We yearn for rest. We miss home.
Yet remarkably, even here, God’s mercy is present. Cain fears being destroyed, and God places a mark upon him—not to shame him, but to protect him. Judgment is real, but it is not the last word.
Just as God marked Cain, He has also marked us in Christ. In our wandering, we will encounter grace. In Christ, the wanderer is sought, the exile is welcomed home, and the restless heart is given rest. The ground that no longer yielded its strength is answered by a cross planted into the earth, from which new life flows.
Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Christ experiences the terror of forsakenness so that we might receive the turned face of the Father.
So when you feel restless, displaced, or unrooted, remember: wandering is not the end of the story. God still seeks, still protects, and through Christ, calls His children home.
We pray this prayer which is often said in Covenant Services:
Christ has many services to be done:
some are easy, others are difficult;
some bring honour, others bring reproach;
some are suitable to our natural inclinations and material interests,
others are contrary to both;
in some we may please Christ and please ourselves;
in others we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves.
Yet the power to do all these things is given to us in Christ,
who strengthens us.
Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this song, Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling for you and for me
See, on your portals He’s waiting and watching
Watching for you and for me
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling O sinner come home
Oh! For the wonderful love He has promised
Promised for you and for me
Tho’ we have sinned He has mercy and pardon
Pardon for you and for me
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling O sinner come home
[Bridge]
Jesus is calling
Ooh
Oh, I hear
I hear His sweet voice
Calling for me
Gently He leads those who carry their young ones
Shepherd for you and for me
Surely His goodness and mercy will follow
Ever with you and with me
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling O sinner come home
Calling O sinner come home
Softly and Tenderly / Ashokan Farewell (Medley) · Keith & Kristyn Getty · Vince Gill · Sierra Hull · Ellie Holcomb · Deborah Klemme Evensong – Hymns And Lullabies At The Close Of Day ℗ 2020 Getty Music Label, LLC
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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