Voice: Doreen
Today is Tuesday, 27th of January. Let us take a moment to be still in His presence. May you hear the Lord or encounter Him anew in this new day that the Lord has made.
We read Psalm 36
Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in a way that is not good;
he does not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen;
they are thrust down, unable to rise.
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 13:8-18
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Let Him guide you
Abraham, despite being Lot’s senior, was a man of peace. With magnanimity, he offered Lot the first choice of land. Lot looked, and it seemed obvious to him that the fertile Jordan Valley was the right decision.
As the story unfolds, however, we later learn that this was a poor choice. The land lay dangerously close to Sodom.
Abraham was resigned to go the other way. But it was then that God spoke to him. As far as his eyes could see, this would be the land God would give to him and to his offspring forever. What an astonishing promise. There is a profound difference between moving by self-determination and walking by faith in God’s guidance.
Chances are, many of us would throw in our lot with Lot. We choose based on what we can see. It looks logical, and the gains seem immediate. There may be shadows lurking in the nearby city of Sodom, but perhaps, like Lot, we convince ourselves that the risk is acceptable—especially if material gain is our primary concern. And when tangible rewards become our highest value, we too may suffer the same fate.
What if, instead, we learn to listen to the Lord? We are called to treasure His guidance above all else. Some Christians struggle to hear God’s voice, and there is no fixed formula or checklist for doing so. Hearing Him grows out of relationship—of learning to walk closely with God and to live by the Spirit.
Are there significant decisions before you today? Will you choose simply by what you see? What are your values and priorities? Does it matter if you settle too close to “Sodom”? Or are you willing to profit less in order to remain spiritually safe? Is God speaking to you about His purposes for your life—and how might that shape the choices you make?
Take a moment to pray over these things.
May His Word guide your steps in the coming week.
We end with this ancient Celtic prayer:
Creator of the cosmos,
of eternity and time:
Be with us in this time
Saviour of the world,
healer of the nations:
Be with us in this place
Breath of all that lives,
of people near and far
Stir within our lives
Maker-Spirit-Son
God of here and now:
Be present in our worship,
that we may find new ways
to be present in your world.
Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Quiet
Here we go again, my mind racing
And I can′t seem to win
All these crazy thoughts and feelings
It’s like it never ends
Until Your voice breaks through my noise
And I know I′m not alone, I’m not alone
You will fight my battles if I will just be still
Why would I keep running when You’re right here?
I′ll just be quiet
Let You speak through the silence
Here I am, no more hiding
You are in this moment, I won′t fight it
I’ll be quiet
I don′t need to know what comes next
Tomorrow’s in Your hands
I can trust You with my future
′Cause You’re already there
I hear Your voice call me forward
I know I′m not alone, I’m
not alone
Away with the distractions, I wanna hear what’s true
The only words that matter, they come from You
@Hillside Recording, featuring Diana Trout on vocals.
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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