Daily Devotion

Voice: Doreen

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Today is Friday, 15th of May. It is also the Feast of St Matthias. Let’s take a moment to be still before the Lord.

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The Psalm for today is Psalm 16:

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
² I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”

³ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.

⁴ The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.

⁵ The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷ I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸ I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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.

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Acts 1:21-26

²¹ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” ²³ And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

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Have you ever heard a sermon on St. Matthias? Or read an article about him? Or a Cell lesson? Probably not.

Some have speculated that Matthias wasn’t God’s true choice to replace Judas—that perhaps the real intended apostle was Paul. This view is often based on the fact that Matthias is never mentioned again after Acts 1. But if that’s the yardstick, then we must question several others as well. Simon the Zealot, Thaddeus, James the Less, and Bartholomew also receive little to no individual mention beyond being named among the Twelve.

Yet their limited presence in Scripture does not discredit the legitimacy of their calling. Scripture doesn’t measure significance by visibility.

When the early church chose Matthias, they prayed: “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.” (Acts 1:24). They sought God’s will—not popularity, charisma, or credentials. The casting of lots might seem arbitrary to us, but in the context of a very young church which was still finding her feet, it was a reverent act of dependence on God’s wisdom. They were looking for heart qualifications, not external achievements. And only God can see that.

This stands in stark contrast to our human tendencies. We often prioritize leadership skills, academic excellence, or eloquence—things we can observe and measure. But who can truly see what’s in the heart?

St. Matthias reminds us where true service to God needs to flow from. And when your church next choose elders or Cell leaders, St Matthias reminds us that we need to see beyond the external qualities of a leader. And may the Holy Sprit guide your church in this, for “only the Lord knows everyone’s heart.”

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We end with the collect for The Feast of St Matthias:

O Almighty God,
who into the place of the traitor Judas
did choose thy faithful servant Matthias
to be of the number of the twelve Apostles: 
Grant that thy Church, being always preserved from false Apostles,
may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

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The Church has a very simple prayer called the Agnus Dei, which is Latin for “Lamb of God”. Be blessed by this contemporary version sung by a Ukrainian Choir. Some stanzas are sung in Ukrainian.

Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia

Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
Amen

Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia

Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb…

Link to full Morning Office