Voice: Doreen
Today is Wednesday, 20th of May. We start by praying the Collect for Purity:
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The appointed Psalm for today is Psalm 29.
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[c]
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless[d] his people with peace!
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.
Luke 8
16“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
19Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Hear and Do
Jesus uses the image of a lamp to teach that everything will eventually come to light. What we do matters—whether in private or in public. Therefore, we must take care in how we respond to what we hear. The more attentively we receive His Word, the greater our growth will be.
When His family came looking for Him, it became an occasion for teaching: the true family of God are those who hear God’s Word and do it. Otherwise, even what we think we have may be taken away.
If we pause to reflect on our lives, we can already see these principles at work. The “coming to light” is not merely that the Lord—and eventually the world—will know what we have done. It is deeper than that. It is about how what we do now quietly shapes what we will become later. As Galatians 6:7 reminds us, “A man reaps what he sows.” Often, only we—or those closest to us—know what we have been sowing. But the fruit of our lives will, in time, be visible to many.
Our character and well-being are largely formed by the choices we make. Even in adversity, if our response is right, those very circumstances can shape us for the better.
If we invest in love, compassion, and the good of others, we will eventually see the fruit. We will be genuinely loved and respected, and others will cherish the ways we have invested in their lives. When the fear of the Lord dwells in our hearts, it becomes perceptible—those who draw near can sense it.
There is, ultimately, no hiding. Yet Jesus’ teaching here is not meant to condemn us. Rather, He invites us into the abundant and meaningful life He has promised. At the heart of it all is this: to hear carefully what the Lord is saying, and to allow His Word—patiently, steadily—to shape our lives.
Some of us have visited the sacred island of Iona, where Columba landed in the 6th century and began a thriving Celtic monastery and mission. Along its shores lie many smooth stones, shaped over time by the relentless waves of the Atlantic.
So may the Word of the Lord, over time, smooth and beautify our lives—quietly, faithfully, and deeply.
Be blessed by this poem, “Stone” by Kenneth Steven:
A little cave of green stone
smoothed by centuries of sea
to a pebble small as a pinkie nail,
chanced up out of the waves reach.
Hold it to light and it changes,
becomes a globe of fractures;
a cavern of ledges and glinting
-not one green but many at once.
And suddenly I think of it bigger
as the whole of the human heart;
carrying the cuts of its journey,
brokenness letting in light.
Be blessed by this Hymn, Trust and Obey, sung by Don Moen.
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way
While we do His good will
He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey
Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey
Not a shadow can rise
Not a cloud in the skies
But His smile quickly drives it away
Not a doubt nor a fear
Not a sigh nor a tear
Can abide while we trust and obey
Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey
Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way
What He says we will do
Where He sends we will go
Never fear only trust and obey
Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His Promise
Just to know thus saith the Lord
Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus
Oh for grace to trust Him more
Lord, oh for grace to trust You more
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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