Voice: Doreen
Today is Tuesday, 20th of January. May Christ, the true, the only light banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.
Psalm 147:1-11
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
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 7:11-24
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature.15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.
17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
The Ark of Salvation
This is more than a flood. Creation itself is being unravelled.
“All the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.”
In Genesis 7, the language deliberately echoes the creation account in Genesis 1. At creation, God separates the waters above from the waters below. Boundaries are established. Order emerges. Life becomes possible.
Here, those boundaries collapse.
The waters above and below break loose.
Order gives way to chaos.
Life returns toward the formless deep.
This is not simply destruction — it is de-creation.
Judgment, then, can be seen as God withdrawing restraint, allowing chaos to surge back into a world corrupted by sin and violence.
The destruction is described using a series of deliberately totalising phrases:
“all flesh,” “everything on dry land,” “all the high mountains under the whole heaven.”
This is intentional and poetic in rhythm. The narrator wants us to feel the completeness of the judgment. No human power, no geography, no elevation, no place of refuge can hold back God’s judgment. What humanity trusted in proves utterly fragile.
The language intensifies further:
“all flesh,” “everything on dry land,” “every living thing” is blotted out.
The work of de-creation is complete.
As Genesis 6:6 puts it with startling honesty:
“And the LORD regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”
This is not indifference.
It is divine grief.
And yet — grace interrupts the devastation.
“Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.”
The judgment is total, but mercy is particular.
In First Letter of Peter 3:20–21, Peter reflects on this moment:
“…in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism… now saves you.”
The ark becomes a figure of baptism.
The same waters that destroy also save — as they carry the ark of salvation. Judgment and grace move through the same waters.
It has often been said that even the innocent suffer indirectly because of the Fall. Scripture does not deny this reality. Sin’s consequences ripple outward. Violence never contains itself.
But brothers and sisters, no matter how dark life becomes, we turn our gaze to the merciful hand of God. Though sin, chaos, and judgment may rage around us, God provides a refuge.
We are invited to hide in the ark of salvation — not made of wood, but of grace; not floating on waters, but raised upon the Cross.
And this is not the end of the story.
De-creation will give way to re-creation.
Judgment will give way to renewal.
The God who once said “Never again” will one day say, “Behold, I make all things new.”y in the form of a new earth and heaven. We look forward to that day.
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.
Be blessed by He is worthy, by Andrew Petersen, which captures a biblical vision of Christ’s reign over the world we live in.
Do you feel the world is broken?
(We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen?
(We do)
But do you know that all the dark won’t
Stop the light from getting through?
(We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new?
(We do)
Is all creation groaning?
(It is)
Is a new creation coming?
(It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst?
(It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this?
(It is)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He was David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
He is
Does the Father truly love us?
(He does)
Does the Spirit move among us?
(He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah hold forever those He loves?
(He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us?
(He does)
Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From every people and tribe
Every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God
To reign with the Son
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?
He is!
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
He is!
He is!
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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