Voice: Mylene
Today is Monday, 19th of January. As another day starts, take a moment to be still in His presence.
We pray:
Almighty and everlasting Father,
we thank you that you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day.
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.
We praise the Lord in the words of Psalm 98:
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
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 6:11-22
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
Water
Water is a blessing to life.
It sustains us.
It refreshes us.
It is so readily available that we rarely think about it. We turn on the tap, and out it flows. Much unseen work makes this possible. Our government has invested deeply in water management for our city-island. The next time you visit the Marina Barrage, pause and observe the immense human effort involved in containing and directing the power of the sea.
Water may seem innocuous, even gentle. But when uncontrolled, it becomes a force that is terrifying and unstoppable. A calm beach can turn into devastation when a tsunami strikes. When a city is flooded, nothing is spared. Crisis relief workers often say that floods are among the worst disasters a city can face: the sheer force of water, the drowning of living beings, and the contamination and disease that follow bring untold misery to villages and cities alike.
Eugene Peterson describes the unruly power of water in his book Where Your Treasure Is:
“What comfort is it that the ground under me is eternally solid if I am swept off my feet and battered by the bruising waves? When the floods come, the earth remains as solid as ever, but nothing else does. … In human history, the floods get all the headlines. The incredible force of floodwaters is awesome. Only the fish who swim in the sea and the birds who fly high above are exempt. Floods scour the land. Great trees are uprooted. Immense rocks are shifted.”
Early in Scripture, the world encounters this watery power as judgment—judgment upon corruption and violence. The story of Noah is familiar to us. It is told in every Sunday school classroom. The ark and the animals are often presented as charming and safe. But if we pause to reflect, it is a dark, violent, and tragic story.
Only a remnant survives.
The devastation is so complete that God declares, “Never again.” A covenant of grace is given, symbolised by the rainbow. God binds himself to creation with a promise of restraint.
This story gives us hope in several ways.
First, evil will be judged. We live in an age that often grows uneasy with judgment, that closes one eye to the reality of evil and grave injustice. Yet Scripture insists that the Lord who sees will, in time, reveal his judgment. Evil is not ignored forever.
Second, judgment is never God’s final word. In the midst of judgment, the ark and the rainbow point us to mercy and grace. And so does the Cross. Again and again in Scripture, we see not unchecked wrath, but restrained and gracious mercy.
The power of floodwaters is devastating. We should never wish such destruction upon anyone. Instead, we leave even our enemies in the hands of God. As we pray for mercy and forgiveness for ourselves, we pray the same for them.
And so we keep looking to the Cross—
where judgment and mercy meet,
where chaos is restrained,
and where grace has the final word.
We pray the Collect of the Day:
Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Be blessed by this beautiful song, How Long by Oasis Chorale
How long, how long ’til this world is free from suffering?
How long, how long ’til blessed peace will reign?
How long, how long ’til the pow’r of love will come
And heaven’s will is done?
How long, how long?
How long, how long ’til every gun is silenced?
How long, how long ’til hate and war shall end;
’Til ev’ry battle’s thunder will fade to blessed peace
And sounds of war will cease? How long, how long?
Press on, press on, let faith and hope sustain you.
Press on, press on, keep working for the day
When all of God’s children will live in peace as one.
Until that new day comes, press on, press on.
Send me, send me to work for the kingdom.
Send me, send me to go and live for peace.
Until the love of heaven to earth shall descend
And peace will reign again, send me, send me.
Press on, we’ll press on. We will sing a peaceful song!
But still we’re praying on, how long, how long?
Further notes on song: Support this work: https://www.zeffy.com/fundraising/vid… https://www.oasischorale.org
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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