Galatians 1:6-9

Galatians 1:6-9 - Daily Devotion - 30 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

6 I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

I remember many years ago as an early Christian, I went to a conference where the speaker said to those attending: “Look to the right of you, look to the left of you – one day, one of them will no longer be a Christian.” It really shook up what I thought about Christians generally – that once someone turned to Jesus, it would be crazy to turn away from following him. I know that in God’s hidden purposes, he has chosen those he will save. But from our perspective, there is a real danger of abandoning the gospel. In today’s passage, Paul begins his letter telling the Galatians that they are deserting Jesus – and not just deserting him, but doing so “quickly” (v6).

How does this happen? Paul gives us some hints: firstly, they are turning away from the true gospel by turning towards a false gospel (which as Paul says, “is not even a gospel”). Secondly, someone else has preached this false gospel and led the Galatians to believe it.

Today, you’ll be hearing from many different voices. Some may be telling you about the way to have everlasting meaning in your life, some may be telling you about the right way to experience God. How do what these voices say stack up against what the Bible says? Do they complement the words of the true gospel of Jesis Christ which the apostle Paul preached? Or do they distort or pervert the gospel, or contradict what the Bible says? Let’s be wise towards what voices we are letting into our daily lives and check what they say against the words of truth that the Bible brings. And if you aren’t sure, talk with a trusted brother or sister and together, like iron sharpens iron, let’s sharpen one another in the true gospel.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Galatians 1:1-5

Galatians 1:1-5 - Daily Devotion - 29 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

This month we are going to read Paul’s letter to the churches he had established in Galatia, a region in central modern-day Turkey. Paul speaks very bluntly (as we’ll see tomorrow), because there was a group of false teachers who were leading these young Christians away from the true gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Here’s a quick roadmap for what’s ahead. The false teachers were painting Paul as a false apostle who had taught them an incomplete version of the gospel. So in chapters 1–2, Paul defends his standing as a true apostle who received the gospel message directly from the risen Lord Jesus. That’s why he introduces himself in verse 1 as “an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” The apostles were people who physically saw the Lord Jesus after his resurrection, and who Jesus personally commissioned as his messengers. (That’s also why, if I ever introduce myself like that in a sermon, you should report me to my bishop … hi, Pete!)

Next, in chapters 3–4, Paul explains the key distortion of the false teachers: they were teaching that we are justified on the basis of faith in Jesus plus certain works of the Old Testament law, like circumcision. That tiny little “plus” completely destroyed the true gospel of Jesus, which says that we can only be justified as a gift of God’s grace, not “part gift, part our fleshly works.” Finally, in chapters 5–6 he explains how that true gospel of grace frees us to live the new life of the Spirit.

As a final reflection on these first verses: It’s very helpful to have right expectations. If I expected the Eels to win the NRL every year, I’d be very depressed by now. That’s why I find the phrase “this present evil age” helpful (v2). It reminds me that we shouldn’t ever expect human society in this world to become good, let alone godly and Christ-centred. It will always be an “evil age.” But there is another age coming – the age of the Spirit, of eternal life, of righteousness and joy in God’s new creation. Jesus has already rescued us from this evil age by dying for our sins, and he has entered the age to come by his resurrection. So if you trust in him, you belong to the age to come, and your resurrection life with him is assured. What an amazing hope – a certain expectation – to anchor your identity and fuel your prayers this week.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Psalm 53 and 54

Psalms 53 & 54 - Daily Devotion - 27 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

PSALM 53

For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”

They are corrupt; their ways are vile.
There is no one who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven
upon the sons of men
to see if any understand,
if any seek God.
3 All have turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

4 Will the workers of iniquity never learn?

They devour my people like bread;
they refuse to call upon God.
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to fear.
For God has scattered the bones
of those who besieged you.
You put them to shame,
for God has despised them.

6 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!

When God restores His captive people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

Psalm 54

For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?”

1 Save me, O God, by Your name,
and vindicate me by Your might!
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers rise up against me,
and ruthless men seek my life—
men with no regard for God.

Selah

4 Surely God is my helper;
the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
5 He will reward my enemies with evil.
In Your faithfulness, destroy them.
6 Freely I will sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eyes have stared down my foes.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 52

Psalm 52 - Daily Devotion - 26 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Context: The title of this Psalm links it to an episode in the life of David in 1 Samuel 21–22. King Saul had become mad with jealousy at David, because he knew that God had chosen David as the future king. Saul was bent on killing David, and David had to run for his life, alone and afraid. He stopped for food and supplies from a priest called Ahimelek, but he didn’t realise that he was putting Ahimelek’s life in danger, because one of Saul’s servants was there – a man from Edom called Doeg. When Doeg informed Saul that Ahimelek had helped David, Saul sent for Ahimelek’s entire family, and ordered Doeg to murder them all. Only one of Ahimelek’s sons, called Ahitub, escaped. He joined David, who promised him, “You will be safe with me” (1 Sam. 22:23).

~~~

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”

1 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The loving devotion of God endures all day long.
2 Your tongue devises destruction
like a sharpened razor,
O worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
falsehood more than speaking truth.

Selah

4 You love every word that devours,
O deceitful tongue.
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin;
He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent;
He will uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah

6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will mock the evildoer, saying,
7 “Look at the man
who did not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his wealth
and strengthened himself by destruction.”

8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in the loving devotion of God
forever and ever.
9 I will praise You forever,
because You have done it.
I will wait on Your name—
for it is good—
in the presence of Your saints.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 51

Psalm 51 - Daily Devotion - 25 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your loving devotion;
according to Your great compassion,
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me clean of my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You may be proved right when You speak
and blameless when You judge.
5 Surely I was brought forth in iniquity;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

6 Surely You desire truth in the inmost being;
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from Your presence;
take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will return to You.

14 Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, You will not despise.

18 In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
in whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 50

Psalm 50 - Daily Devotion - 24 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 The Mighty One, God the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God approaches and will not be silent!
Consuming fire precedes Him,
and a tempest rages around Him.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 “Gather to Me My saints,
who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim His righteousness,
for God Himself is Judge.

Selah

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices,
and your burnt offerings are ever before Me.
9 I have no need for a bull from your stall
or goats from your pens,
10 for every beast of the forest is Mine—
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are Mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God,
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

16 To the wicked, however, God says,
“What right have you to recite My statutes
and to bear My covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate My instruction
and cast My words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you befriend him,
and throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You unleash your mouth for evil
and unharness your tongue for deceit.
20 You sit and malign your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent;
you thought I was just like you.
But now I rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.

22 Now consider this, you who forget God,
lest I tear you to pieces,
with no one to rescue you:
23 He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me,
and to him who rights his way,
I will show the salvation of God.”

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 49

Psalm 49 - Daily Devotion - 23 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all inhabitants of the world,2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike.
3 My mouth will impart wisdom,
and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will express my riddle with the harp:

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when wicked usurpers surround me?
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast in their great riches.
7 No man can possibly redeem his brother
or pay his ransom to God.
8 For the redemption of his soul is costly,
and never can payment suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
and not see decay.

10 For it is clear that wise men die,
and the foolish and the senseless both perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their eternal homes—
their dwellings for endless generations—
even though their lands were their namesakes.
12 But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of the self-confident
and their followers who endorse their sayings.

Selah

14 Like sheep they are destined for Sheol.
Death will be their shepherd.
The upright will rule them in the morning,
and their form will decay in Sheol,
far from their lofty abode.
15 But God will redeem my life from Sheol,
for He will surely take me to Himself.

Selah

16 Do not be amazed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases.
17 For when he dies, he will carry nothing away;
his abundance will not follow him down.
18 Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—
and men praise you when you prosper—
19 he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of day.
20 A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 47 and 48

Psalms 47-48 - Daily Devotion - 22 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

A reminder: This month, we are using our do-it-yourself method for reading the Psalms. Each day, after the reading, I’ll ask you to reflect on two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus? It could be something about his ministry, his suffering and death, his resurrection, his kingdom, or what God has done for us through Jesus.

PSALM 47

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout unto God with a voice of triumph.

2 How awesome is the LORD Most High,
the great King over all the earth!
3 He subdues nations beneath us,
and peoples under our feet.
4 He chooses our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom He loves.

Selah

5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD with the sound of the horn.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is King of all the earth;
sing profound praises to Him.

8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on His holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations have assembled
as the people of the God of Abraham;
for the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is highly exalted.

PSALM 48

A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Great is the LORD,
and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God,
His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in loftiness,
the joy of all the earth,
like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the great King.
3 God is in her citadels;
He has shown Himself to be a fortress.

4 For behold, the kings assembled;
they all advanced together.
5 They saw and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there,
anguish like a woman in labor.
7 With a wind from the east
You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.

8 As we have heard, so we have seen
in the city of the LORD of Hosts,
in the city of our God:
God will establish her forever.

Selah

9 Within Your temple, O God,
we contemplate Your loving devotion.
10 Your name, O God, like Your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Mount Zion is glad,
the daughters of Judah rejoice,
on account of Your judgments.

12 March around Zion, encircle her,
count her towers,
13 consider her ramparts, tour her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation.
14 For this God is our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide even till death.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 46

Psalm 46 - Daily Devotion - 20 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth is transformed
and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas,
3 though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.

Selah

4 There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her; she will not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
7 The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

8 Come, see the works of the LORD,
who brings devastation upon the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the shields in the fire.

10 “Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”

11 The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 45

Psalm 45 - Daily Devotion - 19 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Today, I thought it would be helpful to introduce the Psalm before you read it. In its original context, it seems this Psalm was written to celebrate the wedding of the king of Israel – presumably David or one of his descendants on the throne in Jerusalem. But as the poet writes, inspired by the Spirit of God, he is clearly seeing into the future and describing a king who is far more glorious than any merely human king. This king will defeat all God’s enemies, subdue all the nations, and establish God’s everlasting kingdom of truth and justice. The writer even calls the king “O God” – and Hebrews 1:8-9 quotes this Psalm as an Old Testament prophecy that Jesus the Son of God is himself God.

The poem also describes the beauty of the king’s bride. He was no doubt describing the normal, earthly bride of the king in Jerusalem. But in the light of the New Testament, it is clear that the Spirit was inspiring him to describe the beauty of Jesus’ true bride: the church, his precious people whom he bought with his own blood and purified to make his very own (Eph. 5:25-27).

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies.” A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song.

1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses to the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most handsome of men;
grace has anointed your lips,
since God has blessed you forever.
3 Strap your sword at your side, O mighty warrior;
appear in your majesty and splendor.
4 In your splendor ride forth in victory
on behalf of truth and humility and justice;
may your right hand show your awesome deeds.
5 Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s foes;
the nations fall beneath your feet.

6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever,
and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You have loved righteousness
and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
above your companions with the oil of joy.

8 All your garments are fragrant
with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces of ivory the harps make you glad.
9 The daughters of kings are among your honored women;
the queen stands at your right hand,
adorned with the gold of Ophir.

10 Listen, O daughter! Consider and incline your ear:
Forget your people and your father’s house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty;
bow to him, for he is your lord.
12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
men of wealth will seek your favor.

13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber;
her gown is embroidered with gold.
14 In colorful garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions are brought before you.
15 They are led in with joy and gladness;
they enter the palace of the king.

16 Your sons will succeed your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will commemorate your name through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you forever and ever.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 44

Psalm 44 - Daily Devotion - 18 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God;
our fathers have told us
the work You did in their days,
in the days of old.
2 With Your hand You drove out the nations
and planted our fathers there;
You crushed the peoples
and cast them out.
3 For it was not by their sword that they took the land;
their arm did not bring them victory.
It was by Your right hand,
Your arm, and the light of Your face,
because You favored them.

4 You are my King, O God,
who ordains victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we repel our foes;
through Your name we trample our enemies.
6 For I do not trust in my bow,
nor does my sword save me.
7 For You save us from our enemies;
You put those who hate us to shame.
8 In God we have boasted all day long,
and Your name we will praise forever.

Selah
9 But You have rejected and humbled us;
You no longer go forth with our armies.
10 You have made us retreat from the foe,
and those who hate us have plundered us.
11 You have given us up as sheep to be devoured;
You have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell Your people for nothing;
no profit do You gain from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
a mockery and derision to those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face,
16 at the voice of the scorner and reviler,
because of the enemy, bent on revenge.

17 All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten You
or betrayed Your covenant.
18 Our hearts have not turned back;
our steps have not strayed from Your path.
19 But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals;
You have covered us with deepest darkness.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered,
since He knows the secrets of the heart?
22 Yet for Your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Wake up, O Lord! Why are You sleeping?
Arise! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do You hide Your face
and forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul has sunk to the dust;
our bodies cling to the earth.
26 Rise up; be our help!
Redeem us on account of Your loving devotion.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 42 & 43

Psalms 42-43 - Daily Devotion - 17 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

PSALM 42

For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul longs after You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, the living God.
When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?
3 My tears have been my food
both day and night,
while men ask me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things come to mind as I pour out my soul:
how I walked with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God
with shouts of joy and praise.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why the unease within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him
for the salvation of His presence.

6 O my God, my soul despairs within me.
Therefore I remember You
from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon—
even from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of Your waterfalls;
all Your breakers and waves
have rolled over me.
8 The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day,
and at night His song is with me
as a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why must I walk in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?”
10 Like the crushing of my bones,
my enemies taunt me,
while they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why the unease within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
my Savior and my God.

PSALM 43

1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case
against an ungodly nation;
deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.

2 For You are the God of my refuge.
Why have You rejected me?
Why must I walk in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?

3 Send out Your light and Your truth;
let them lead me.
Let them bring me to Your holy mountain,
and to the place where You dwell.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my greatest joy.
I will praise You with the harp,
O God, my God.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why the unease within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
my Savior and my God.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 41

Psalm 41 - Daily Devotion - 16 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

The book of Psalms is divided into 5 parts or smaller “books.” Today we are reading Psalm 41, which is the last psalm in book 1.

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is the one who cares for the poor;
the LORD will deliver him in the day of trouble.
2 The LORD will protect and preserve him;
He will bless him in the land
and refuse to surrender him
to the will of his foes.
3 The LORD will sustain him on his bed of illness
and restore him from his bed of sickness.

4 I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against You.”
5 My enemies say with malice:
“When will he die and be forgotten?”
6 My visitor speaks falsehood;
he gathers slander in his heart;
he goes out and spreads it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper against me;
they imagine the worst for me:
8 “A vile disease has been poured into him;
he will never get up from where he lies!”
9 Even my close friend whom I trusted,
the one who shared my bread,
has lifted up his heel against me.

10 But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and raise me up,
that I may repay them.
11 By this I know that You delight in me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 In my integrity You uphold me
and set me in Your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.

Amen and Amen.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 40

Psalm 40 - Daily Devotion - 15 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

A reminder: This month, we are using our do-it-yourself method for reading the Psalms. Each day, after the reading, I’ll ask you to reflect on two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me up from the pit of despair,
out of the miry clay;
He set my feet upon a rock,
and made my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man
who has made the LORD his trust,
who has not turned to the proud,
nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders You have done,
and the plans You have for us—
none can compare to You—
if I proclaim and declare them,
they are more than I can count.

6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
but my ears You have opened.
Burnt offerings and sin offerings
You did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll:
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”

9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
behold, I do not seal my lips,
as You, O LORD, do know.
10 I have not covered up Your righteousness in my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and salvation;
I have not concealed Your loving devotion and faithfulness
from the great assembly.

11 O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me;
Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me.
12 For evils without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart has failed within me.
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
hurry, O LORD, to help me.

14 May those who seek my life
be ashamed and confounded;
may those who wish me harm
be repelled and humiliated.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
16 May all who seek You
rejoice and be glad in You;
may those who love Your salvation
always say, “The LORD be magnified!”

17 But I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my helper and deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 39

Psalm 39 - Daily Devotion - 13 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 I said, “I will watch my ways
so that I will not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are present.”
2 I was speechless and still;
I remained silent, even from speaking good,
and my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, the fire burned.

Then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “Show me, O LORD, my end
and the measure of my days.
Let me know how fleeting my life is.
5 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths,
and my lifetime as nothing before You.
Truly each man at his best
exists as but a breath.

Selah
6 Surely every man goes about like a phantom;
surely he bustles in vain;
he heaps up riches
not knowing who will haul them away.

7 And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the reproach of fools.
9 I have become mute;
I do not open my mouth
because of what You have done.
10 Remove Your scourge from me;
I am perishing by the force of Your hand.
11 You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity,
consuming like a moth what he holds dear;
surely each man is but a vapor.

Selah
12 Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my weeping.
For I am a foreigner dwelling with You,
a stranger like all my fathers.
13 Turn Your gaze away from me,
that I may again be cheered
before I depart and am no more.”

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 38

Psalm 38 - Daily Devotion - 12 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

A Psalm of David, for remembrance.

1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.
2 For Your arrows have pierced me deeply,
and Your hand has pressed down on me.

3 There is no soundness in my body
because of Your anger;
there is no rest in my bones
because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have overwhelmed me;
they are a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bent and brought low;
all day long I go about mourning.
7 For my loins are full of burning pain,
and no soundness remains in my body.
8 I am numb and badly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.

9 O Lord, my every desire is before You;
my groaning is not hidden from You.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.
11 My beloved and friends shun my disease,
and my kinsmen stand at a distance.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares;
those who wish me harm speak destruction,
plotting deceit all day long.

13 But like a deaf man, I do not hear;
and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth.
14 I am like a man who cannot hear,
whose mouth offers no reply.
15 I wait for You, O LORD;
You will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Let them not gloat over me—
those who taunt me when my foot slips.”

17 For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 Yes, I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many are my enemies without cause,
and many hate me without reason.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
attack me for pursuing the good.

21 Do not forsake me, O LORD;
be not far from me, O my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Savior.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 37:21-40

Psalm 37:21-40 - Daily Devotion - 11 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous are gracious and giving.
22 Surely those He blesses will inherit the land,
but the cursed will be destroyed.

23 The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD
who takes delight in his journey.
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
for the LORD is holding his hand.

25 I once was young and now am old,
yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
26 They are ever generous and quick to lend,
and their children are a blessing.

27 Turn away from evil and do good,
so that you will abide forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice
and will not forsake His saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.

32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
and seek to slay them,
33 the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned under judgment.

34 Wait for the LORD and keep His way,
and He will raise you up to inherit the land.
When the wicked are cut off,
you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man
flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
36 yet he passed away and was no more;
though I searched, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless and observe the upright,
for posterity awaits the man of peace.
38 But the transgressors will all be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps and delivers them;
He rescues and saves them from the wicked,
because they take refuge in Him.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 37:1-20

Psalm 37:1-20 - Daily Devotion - 10 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Of David.

1 Do not fret over those who do evil;
do not envy those who do wrong.
2 For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender plants.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men prosper in their ways,
when they carry out wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and abandon wrath;
do not fret—it can only bring harm.
9 For the evildoers will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and delight in abundant prosperity.

12 The wicked scheme against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them,
13 but the Lord laughs,
seeing that their day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn the sword
and bent the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 Better is the little of the righteous
than the abundance of many who are wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their inheritance will last forever.
19 In the time of evil they will not be ashamed,
and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

20 But the wicked and enemies of the LORD
will perish like the glory of the fields.
They will vanish;
like smoke they will fade away.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 36

Psalm 36 - Daily Devotion - 9 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 An oracle is in my heart
regarding the transgression of the wicked man:
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 For his eyes are too full of conceit
to detect or hate his own sin.
3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and well-doing.
4 Even on his bed he plots wickedness;
he sets himself on a path that is not good;
he fails to reject evil.

5 Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments are like the deepest sea.
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7 How precious is Your loving devotion, O God,
that the children of men take refuge
in the shadow of Your wings!
8 They feast on the abundance of Your house,
and You give them drink from Your river of delights.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.

10 Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You,
and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of the proud come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen,
thrown down and unable to rise.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Psalm 35

Psalm 35 - Daily Devotion - 8 September 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

A reminder: This month, we are using our do-it-yourself method for reading the Psalms. Each day, after the reading, I’ll ask you to reflect on two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Of David.

1 Contend with my opponents, O LORD;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up Your shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers;
say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”

4 May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plan to harm me
be driven back and confounded.
5 May they be like chaff in the wind,
as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
6 May their path be dark and slick,
as the angel of the LORD pursues.
7 For without cause they laid their net for me;
without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
8 May ruin befall them by surprise;
may the net they hid ensnare them;
may they fall into the hazard they created.

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and exult in His salvation.10 All my bones will exclaim,
“Who is like You, O LORD,
who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor,
the poor and needy from the robber?”

11 Hostile witnesses come forward;
they make charges I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good,
to the bereavement of my soul.
13 Yet when they were ill,
I put on sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting,
but my prayers returned unanswered.
14 I paced about
as for my friend or brother;
I was bowed down with grief,
like one mourning for his mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee;
they gathered together against me.
Assailants I did not know
slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 How long, O Lord, will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.
19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause,
nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
20 For they do not speak peace,
but they devise deceitful schemes
against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They gape at me and say,
“Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”

22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent.
O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Awake and rise to my defense,
to my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God,
and do not let them gloat over me.25 Let them not say in their hearts,
“Aha, just what we wanted!”
Let them not say,
“We have swallowed him up!”

26 May those who gloat in my distress
be ashamed and confounded;
may those who exalt themselves over me
be clothed in shame and reproach.
27 May those who favor my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD
who delights in His servant’s well-being.”

28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness
and Your praises all day long.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.