Voice: Emily
Today is Wednesday, 28th of January. We pause to prepare our hearts to hear His voice.
From the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. – MALACHI 1:11
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
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.
God Is My Refuge
Psalm 46 begins with three attributes of God:
God is our refuge
God is our strength
God is a very present help in trouble
He then illustrate these attributes with three moving scenes.
Firstly, nature is in Upheaval
What could feel more secure than the ground beneath our feet? Trees grow from it; buildings rest upon it; seas and rivers are carried by the earth. Yet the ground itself can betray us—earthquakes, tsunamis, the sea swallowing coasts—remind us that even the things we trust can become threats. The sights and sounds of such upheaval are terrifying.
Even as the year starts, it looks like the crises which the world is facing continues unabated. The international order which has held the world together since World War Two is in upheaval. Our small little city-nation is feeling the impact of this.
In the middle of the terror the psalmist says, “God is our refuge.” We can hide in Him. The crises around us serves to remind us that our true security is in Christ. As the song goes, “this world is not my home and we are only passing through.”
Secondly, we see the City by the River.
The scene softens into flowing streams that runs through the city of Jerusalem. Here the danger is different: not the fury of nature but the threat of aggressive neighbors, of conflict at the gates.
“God will help her at the break of dawn.” It is at this time of day that a city which is barely awake will be most vulnerable.
Yet because God is present in the city, the inhabitants need not be afraid. God’s presence makes the city secure even when dangers press in.
Didn’t the Lord say again and again in His Word, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you?”
The last scene is in a Wasteland.
The psalm has become eerily silent. You can hear only the sound of the wind. God issues two commands.
The first bids us: “Come and see.” Look closely. Gaze on the aftermath of human pride—battlefields, burnt weapons, the wind that carries away what men once boasted of.
Then God issues a second command: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Be still—stop striving, stop clinging to human strength. Instead, rest in His. Let his sovereignty quiet your fears and reorder your heart.
As we look at a world which is prone to conflicts and self-destruction, we want to learn to cease striving, be still and know that He is God. For the violent might of man are destined for dust and rust.
What a wonderful psalm.
Where do you feel shaken—by forces beyond your control, by conflict, or by the rubble of human pride?
Pause.
Come and see.
Then be still: trust the One who is your refuge, your strength, and your very present help in trouble.
Today is the feast day of Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274). He is remembered as one of the Church’s greatest theologians—a man who showed that faith and reason are not enemies, but friends. A Dominican friar, he devoted his life to loving God with both heart and mind, teaching that truth, wherever it is found, ultimately leads to God.
We pray this special Collect:
O God, who made Saint Thomas Aquinas outstanding in his zeal for holiness and his study of sacred doctrine,
grant us, we pray,
that we may understand what he taught and imitate what he accomplished. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Be blessed by this version of Be Still by Don Moen
Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand
Chorus
When the oceans rise
And thunders roar
I will soar with You
Above the storm
Father You are King
Over the flood
I will be still and know
You are God
Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust
Don Moen – Still / Be Still and Know (Live)
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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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