Daily Devotion

Voice: Jennifer

Today is Monday, 16th of March.  

We begin by praying the Morning Collect:

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.

The Psalm appointed for today is Psalm 70.  

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
² Let them be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
³ Let them turn back because of their shame
    who say, “Aha, Aha!”

⁴ May all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”
⁵ But I am poor and needy;
    hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!

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.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 9:1, 11-14

¹ Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 
…

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 
¹² he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 
¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 
¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

How Much More

Imagine the scene in the great temple in Jerusalem Temple.

The courts are filled with worshippers. The air is thick with the scent of incense and the low murmur of prayers. Priests in white linen move quietly about their duties. Yet all attention gradually settles on one figure — the High Priest, robed in sacred garments, preparing to offer the sacrifice.

He approaches the altar solemnly. There is nothing hurried or casual in his movements. Every step, every gesture is prescribed and deliberate, for this is no ordinary moment. The sacrifice is being offered before the presence of the living God.

The animal is brought forward. The murmuring fades. A hush spreads through the court. The weight of the moment presses upon everyone present. The people know that this act represents something profound: the cost of sin and the hope of reconciliation.

The High Priest lifts his hands and performs the sacred rite. As the sacrifice is made and the offering placed upon the altar, the fire consumes it and smoke rises upward. Slowly it ascends toward heaven, curling into the sky like a visible prayer. The sweet smell of burning fat and roasted meat is unmistakable.

It is an awe-inspiring experience that engages the senses entirely.

The early Jewish Christians undoubtedly struggled in their newfound faith. Their worship had no grand temple, no rising clouds of incense, no dramatic rituals, no centuries-old traditions. Was the gospel of Jesus Christ somehow inferior?

Not so. The writer of Epistle to the Hebrews argues in Hebrews 9:11–14 that if the old sacrificial system had its effect, how much more effective is the sacrifice of Christ.

The blood of animals could symbolize purification.
But the blood of Christ truly accomplishes it.

His sacrifice not only brings forgiveness of sins, but also purifies our conscience, enabling us to serve the living God.

How much more, indeed.

🌿 Thought for Lent

Today, renew your confidence in the finished work of Christ. Every of your past sin can be forgiven. This includes those that has left a deep guilt in you. Brother or sister, let the blood of Christ purify your conscience.

---

We pray the Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent:

Merciful Lord,
absolve your people from their offences, 
that through your bountiful goodness
we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins 
which by our frailty we have committed;
grant this, heavenly Father,
for Jesus Christ’s sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, 
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

---

“Broke my chains, freed my soul, for the first time I had hope.” Join Charity Gayle and Michael W. Smith in thanking God for His perfect and selfless sacrifice, Thank You Jesus for the Blood.

I was a wretch, I remember who I was
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasm
You held me in Your sight

So You made a way, across the great divide
Left behind, Heaven’s throne, to build it here inside
And there at the cross You paid the debt I owe
Broke my chains, freed my soul, for the first time I had hope

Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light

You took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin
You were buried for three days but then You walked right out again
And now death has no sting and life has no end
For I have been transformed by the blood of the Lamb

Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied (thank You, Jesus)
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light

There is nothing stronger
Than the wonder working power of the blood, the blood
That calls us sons and daughters
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood
There is nothing stronger
Oh, the wonder working power of the blood, the blood (it calls us)
That calls us sons and daughters
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood

Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light

Glory to His name
Glory to His name
There to my heart was the blood applied
Glory to His name

Link to full 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