Voice: Jennifer
Today is Tuesday, 10th of February. Let us take a moment to be still in His presence. May you hear the Lord and encounter Him anew in this new day that the Lord has made.
Psalm 32
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
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 31:4-16
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10 In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. 16 All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Now, Arise and Go
How long did Jacob stay with his uncle Laban?
Twenty years.
Jacob himself recounts this in Genesis 31:42:
“These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock…”
- 7 years for Leah
- 7 years for Rachel
- another 6 years tending Laban’s livestock
Twenty long years. And only after that did the Lord say to Jacob:
“Now, arise and go.”
Jacob never expected to stay that long. What began as a temporary refuge turned into a prolonged season of frustration. He was exploited, cheated, and repeatedly taken advantage of. Vindication did come—but it was slow.
If this were to happen to us, we might label those years as wasted years.
In our modern—and especially Asian—outlook on life, every year is meant to be productive, purposeful, and forward-moving. Each season must add something measurable: academic progress, career advancement, financial gain. To pause is to fall behind.
Few Singaporeans take a gap year or two. Such years are often seen as unproductive—years that do not “count.” Years where nothing was achieved, nothing added to one’s résumé. Worse still, while we stood still, our peers continued moving steadily forward. We feel left behind.
This anxiety becomes even sharper when it comes to missions or ministry. Some may spend years overseas serving the Lord, and even Christian parents struggle with this. After all, so much has been invested—elite schooling, tuition, enrichment activities—all to help children get ahead. To press the brake pedal so hard, and for so long, feels like a waste of life.
But this was not how the Lord saw Jacob’s years with Laban.
God was not in a hurry.
Those twenty years were not wasted years; they were forming years. Years in which Jacob’s character was shaped, his self-reliance dismantled, and his trust in God’s faithfulness deepened. The deceiver was slowly being transformed. The manipulator was learning dependence. The man was being prepared to become a patriarch.
The promise given to Jacob at Bethel still stood:
“The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring… I am with you… and I will bring you back.”
(Genesis 28:13–15)
That promise would come to pass—in God’s way and in God’s time.
Only when the work within Jacob was sufficiently done did the Lord say,
“Now, arise and go.”
Reflect on this:
What might the Lord be doing in your current circumstances?
Are you in a season that feels slow, unproductive, or even unjust?
Could it be that God is not delaying you—but preparing you?
Listen carefully.
When the time is right, the same Lord who says “Wait” will also say,
“Now, arise and go.”
We end with the Collect for the Day:
Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image:
teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and your likeness in all your children;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things,
now and for ever. Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this beautiful song about our pilgrimage, Sojourn by Ronald Wong.
Hours of silence on ascent
Light the sky with burned incense
Ancient paths in yearning hearts
Following after singing larks
Springs arise in place of tears
Olive branches now appear
Broken vines into fine new wines
Pour and drink to forgone lines
‘See sojourner; hear the preacher
Feel the water; wash and draw near’
‘Zion calls you; Zion calls you, Zion calls you, come’
Nations flow as rivers pour
Fill the House on whispered lore
Ashes twirl under dancing feet
In all tongues our prayers will meet
‘See O witness; hear the promise
Feel the voices; roll down justice’
Yet, now I don’t see the fig tree bud
Fields are all bare, thorns and thistles cut
Still I hope in the Lord my God
I will see with my spirit awed
Walk by grace on illumined ways
Till the dawn shall unveil His face
Read about the songwriter’s reflections here
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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