Daily Devotion

Voice: Doreen

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Today is Wednesday, 27th 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.

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Psalm 119:162-172

 ¹⁶²I  rejoice at your word
like one who  finds great spoil.

¹⁶³I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love  your law.

¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise you
for your  righteous rules.

¹⁶⁵Great  peace have those who love your law;
    nothing can make them stumble.

¹⁶⁶I  hope for your salvation, O  Lord ,
and I do your commandments.

¹⁶⁷My soul keeps your testimonies;
I  love them exceedingly.

¹⁶⁸I keep your precepts and testimonies,
    for all my ways are before you.

¹⁶⁹Let my  cry come before you, O  Lord ;
    give me understanding  according to your word!

¹⁷⁰Let my plea come before you;
    deliver me according to your word.

¹⁷¹My lips will  pour forth praise,
for you  teach me your statutes.

¹⁷²My tongue will sing of your word,
for  all your commandments are right.

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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Luke 9:46-48

⁴⁶An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 
⁴⁷But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 
⁴⁸and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

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When it doesn’t matter

In our modern society, comparisons are woven into daily conversation. We compare almost without thinking.

Which char kway teow stall is better?
Which telco is more reliable?
Which school is best for our children?

Even in church, we compare preachers, singers, and cell leaders.

As a small and relatively young nation, Singapore often measures success and standing in the world by comparison with others. We instinctively ask where we rank, how we are doing, and whether we are ahead or behind. It seems that success cannot simply stand on its own; we feel compelled to compare and compete to measure our place. This mindset runs deep in us.

We find similar tendencies among Jesus’ disciples.

“Who is the greatest?” was a question they raised more than once.

And such comparisons can shape how one lives — striving to get ahead, to be noticed, to gain standing. Because the Christian life is lived in community, these tendencies can become even more acute in the midst of serving and living with one another.

Yet Jesus turns the whole table around.

Knowing the motives and reasonings of their hearts, He took a child into His arms and said, in effect: the truly great are not those seeking greatness.

A child in that society had little standing, no social influence, and no political voice. Children were vulnerable and dependent — among the least in society.

Jesus did not even attempt to answer the disciples by naming who was greatest. Instead, He redefined greatness altogether.

“The one who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

In other words: do not be anxious about your standing in society or in the community of faith.

Instead, in Christ’s name, honour the least.
Stop competing.
Choose to become “the least,” and begin to serve.

And as we do so, we discover that true greatness is not found in recognition or status, but in sharing in the humble life of the Son — and in the glory of the Father.

May the Lord free us from the endless need to compare, and teach us the quiet joy of humility and service. ✨

The Collect from the Fifth Sunday of Easter:

Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: 
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect; 
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you, 
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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In closing, be blessed by this song, I shall not want, by Audrey Assad.

From the love of my own comfort
From the fear of having nothing
From a life of worldly passions
Deliver me, O God

From the need to be understood
From the need to be accepted
From the fear of being lonely
Deliver me, O God
Deliver me, O God

And I shall not want, I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want

From the fear of serving others
From the fear of death or trial
From the fear of humility
Deliver me, O God
Deliver me, O God

And I shall not want, I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
And I shall not want, I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
When I taste Your goodness I shall not want
I shall not want, I shall not want

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