Daily Devotion

Voice: Ting Ai

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Today is Thursday, 25th of June. Take a moment to be still in His presence.

We pray:

Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen

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Psalm 78:1-8

¹    Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

²    I will open my mouth  in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,

³things that we have heard and known,
that our  fathers have told us.

⁴We will not  hide them from their children,
but  tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the  Lord , and his might,
and  the wonders that he has done.

⁵He established  a testimony in  Jacob
and appointed a law in  Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,

⁶that  the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,

⁷so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget  the works of God,
but  keep his commandments;

⁸and that they should not be  like their fathers,
    a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation  whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Judges 11:1-11

¹Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. ²And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” ³Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him.

  ⁴After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. ⁵And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. ⁶And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.” ⁷But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” ⁸And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” ⁹Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head.” ¹⁰And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say.” ¹¹So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

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The story of Jephthah is remarkable.

He was introduced as a mighty warrior. Yet in the very same sentence, we are told that he was the son of a prostitute. He possessed exceptional ability, but he also carried a lifelong stigma. It was not a consequence of his own choices; it was simply the circumstance of his birth.

In ancient Israel, family identity and inheritance were everything. His half-brothers rejected him, not because of any flaw in his character, but because of his origin. They drove him away so that he would have no share in the family inheritance.

There is an echo here of many biblical figures. Joseph was rejected by his brothers. David was overlooked even by his own family. Above all, Jesus of Nazareth “came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

God often sees potential in those whom society rejects.

Jephthah fled to the land of Tob, where “worthless fellows” gathered around him. The phrase does not necessarily imply that they were morally corrupt. They were more likely other social outcasts and displaced men who had little place in respectable society.

What seemed like exile became Jephthah’s training ground. There he developed leadership, honed his military skills, and earned the loyalty of those who followed him.

Sometimes the seasons we consider uneventful, wasted, or even painful are actually God’s preparation. Many of God’s servants spent years in obscurity before stepping into their calling. Moses spent decades in Midian tending sheep. David wandered through the wilderness and hid in caves before ascending the throne.

Then came a crisis. The Ammonites threatened Israel, and suddenly the leaders who had once rejected Jephthah realised that they needed him. The outcast had become indispensable.

Jephthah agreed to lead them, but only on the condition that if the Lord granted victory, he would become their permanent leader. The elders agreed, and God gave him success.

What a story. It has endured because it follows a theme that countless books and films continue to tell: the rejected one becomes the unlikely hero.

Perhaps some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. But perhaps not you. Your background, your family circumstances, or the labels others place upon you do not determine what God can do through your life. You may never know how He is preparing you for a future work.

Or perhaps your company, ministry, or church is searching for new leaders. Look beyond social standing, credentials, or pedigree. Ask God for wisdom to recognise hidden potential in others.

Another Jephthah may be just around the corner.

We pray the collect for today:

Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, 
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, 
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Listen to this old song, The Touch of the Master’ Hand, sung by Wayne Watson. It has an inspirational message.

Well it was battered and scared
And the auctioneer felt it was hardly worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin but he held it up with a smile
Well it sure ain’t much but its all we got left I guess we aught to sell it to
Oh, now who’ll start the bid on this old violin?
Just one more and we’ll be through

And then he cried one give me one dollar
Who’ll make it two only two dollars who’ll make it three
Three dollars twice now that’s a good price
Now who’s gonna bid for me?
Raise up your hand now don’t wait any longer the auctions about to end
Who’s got four Just one dollar more to bid on this old violin?

Well the air was hot and the people stood around as the sun was setting low
From the back of the crowd a gray haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow
He wiped the dust from the old violin then he tightened up the strings
Then he played out a melody pure and sweet, sweeter than the Angels sing
And then the music stopped and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low he said now what am I bid
For this old violin and he held it up with a bow

And then he cried out one give me one thousand
Who’ll make it two only two thousand who’ll make it three
Three thousand twice you know that’s a good price
Common who’s gonna to bid for me?
And the people cried out what made the change we don’t understand
Then the auctioneer stopped and he said with a smile
It was the touch of the Master’s hand

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. Unless otherwise stated, the reflections are written by Revd Wong.

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. We also welcome donations to MPCC. Information on how you may give can be found in this link.