Voice: Mylene
Today is Monday, 16th of February. We are two days from Ash Wednesday, which starts the Season of Lent. It is also the eve of Chinese New Year and many of us will be busy preparing for the Reunion Dinner.
There are a some ways to engage with the Season of Lent meaningfully and these weekday devotions can slowly guide us to observe that.
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.
Psalm 44:1-8
O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King, O God;
ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever.
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.
Genesiss 37:1-11
Jacob lives in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
From Dream to Destiny
Jacob settles in the land of Canaan—the land promised to Abraham and Isaac. After years of wandering, it appears that stability has finally arrived.
But the narrative quickly shifts to Joseph, just seventeen years old.
His relationships with his brothers—born of different mothers—were already strained. Joseph brings back reports to his father about their misconduct. Whether he was conscientious or self-righteous, it certainly did not help.
Jacob’s obvious favouritism made matters worse. Joseph was “the son of his old age,” and the gift of the richly ornamented robe signalled to everyone that Joseph held a special place in his father’s heart.
Then came the dreams.
Joseph dreamed of sheaves of wheat bowing down to his sheaf. He dreamed of the sun, moon, and stars bowing to him. The implication was unmistakable: his brothers—and even his parents—would one day be subject to him.
Young Joseph may have been audacious, naïve, or insensitive. But whether through immaturity or bold faith, the stage was set. His brothers resolved to ensure that his dreams would remain just that—dreams.
What followed was not a throne but a pit.
For Joseph, there would be thirteen years between dream and destiny. Thirteen years of rejection, suffering, and being counted as dead in the eyes of his father and family. A pit. A foreign land. False accusation. Prison. Silence.
Yet the dreams did not die.
Joseph’s life arc is iconic. It is told in Sunday schools across the world, adapted into popular musicals, and echoed in countless stories of reversal and redemption. But what makes his story powerful is not simply the happy ending—it is the long, hidden formation in between.
What Might the Lord Be Saying to You?
You may be young, full of dreams and possibilities. What is the Lord shaping in you now? Are your dreams rooted in ambition alone—or are they anchored in God’s purposes?
Or you may be older, reflecting on dreams once held. If they were truly God-given—and as long as you still have breath—are they still unfolding in ways you may not yet see?
The trials of life can be long and painful. They may feel like detours or even dead ends. But could it be that the Lord is using these very seasons to prepare you for something greater?
Joseph’s pit was not the end.
His prison was not wasted.
The palace did not arrive too late.
God’s timing is rarely rushed. But it is always purposeful.
Where are you right now?
- In the dream?
- In the pit?
- In the prison?
- Or in the palace?
Whatever the season, trust this:
The God who gives the dream is also faithful through the delay.
We pray the Collect for today:
Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
In closing, be blessed by this song inspired by Psalm 23, Surely Goodness, Surely Grace by Jayce and the Crossroads.
When shadows fall in the valley steep
I hear your voice Where the echoes sleep
Your rod, your staff
They carry me through
In the darkest night
I’m safe with you
[Pre-chorus]
Oh my soul
Don’t you fear
His love is strong He is near
[Chorus]
Still waters run deep, your peace overflows
My cup is alive, my spirit knows
Surely goodness, surely grace
Will follow me all my days
He spread a table in the face of foes
Anoint my head
Till the blessings show
Green pastures call I rest in your name
Through every storm
You stay the same
[Pre-chorus]
Oh my heart Let it sing
He’s my shepherd He’s my king
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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