Galatians 3:1-9

Galatians 3:1-9 - Daily Devotion - 9 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

3 Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

6 So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

As a new Christian, I remember the time it really started to hit home to me that God the Father would give up his very own Son to death in order to purchase my life into his wonderful eternal family. It was very moving – that anyone might do something for me was hard to fathom, let alone God himself. This was completely amazing on another level. The wonder of this has never been lost on me, and I have been helpfully reminded throughout the years through fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ and listening to sermons preached faithfully on the Bible.

The Galatians had heard this gospel too. But what started off well in faithfulness, looks like it's finishing off poorly in faithlessness – or at least, this is what the apostle Paul is warning them about. Not only had they heard and believed the gospel, but they had also been lavished with God's Spirit and experienced miracles among them. But now, a kind of faithlessness has set in – a type of works-based religion, instead of faith based on God's grace in Christ alone. And that works-based religion is a danger to their relationship with God.

I have to ask myself based on today’s passage: Am I so foolish? Or do I know, in the depths of my heart, that Christ was crucified for me, to cover all my sins and bring me forgiveness for all time, no matter what my life circumstance may be? Because to receive this gift, to be right with God, and to continue to benefit from this gift, my response today only needs to be in faith: Yes, I believe. And my response tomorrow only needs to be in faith: Yes, I believe. And my response every day just needs to be in faith: Yes, I believe. So let's remind one another regularly of the truth of this gospel, lest we too start to forget that there are no works that our hands need to accomplish to be right with God. God has done every work necessary to make the way back to him through his Son, Jesus Christ, and his death on the cross.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Galatians 2:17-21

Galatians 2:17-21 - Daily Devotion - 8 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

17 But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.

19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

“… the Son of God, who loved ME and gave Himself up for ME.”

This is a very unusual statement – and it’s such a beautiful one. Almost every other time the New Testament writers talk about Jesus’ death on the cross, they talk about how Jesus died for a big group of people – for “the world” or “sinners” or “us.” Here, it’s personal. Individual: “for me.”

As I reflected on that, it occurred to me that this helps us with two struggles we might have. Sometimes we’re tempted to think, “But surely my good works contribute something to my salvation, don’t they? Otherwise you’re saying I’m no better than a serial killer.” But that’s Paul’s whole point here: If your good works could get you over the line, then why on earth did the Son of God have to die?Forget serial killers – your sin took the death of the perfect, eternal, God-become-flesh Son of God to fix. That should show you how enormous the problem of your sin was. If, knowing that, you put yourself back under God’s law as the basis for your salvation, you instantly condemn yourself (v 18).

But it also helps in those times when you struggle to believe that your sin could possibly be forgiven. “Jesus died for sinners, yes, but my sin is on another level of bad. There’s no way he could forgive me for that – especially when I keep falling into the same thing.” Well, say these words to yourself and let the Spirit sink them into your heart: “This life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

And if you’re wondering how that will help you to live for God now, remember the flipside of the cross: You died with Christ, so that Christ might live in you (v 20). When you put your trust in him, he joined himself to you like glue – so that your sin might be nailed to the cross with him, and so that he might be in you and with you every moment. Don’t worry about how you will manage to live for God. You won’t, by your own fleshly strength … but Christ will. So, in this sinful body as you wait for Christ’s return, keep trusting in him with peace, hope, and joy.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Galatians 2:11-16

Galatians 2:11-16 - Daily Devotion - 7 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

11 When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14 When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

15 We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners” 16 know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

This passage tells me three things. First, if two of the most well-known Christians in history, Peter and Barnabas (so well known that our church is named after one of them!), could walk in a manner that is contrary to the truth of the gospel, then anyone can. It means that no matter how old or young you are, how mature in faith or knowledgeable you are about who Jesus is, it is possible to make decisions that are not in line with the truth of the gospel.

Secondly, making decisions that aren't in line with the truth of the gospel is redeemable. Although Peter stood to be condemned, a word of correction from Paul helped Peter see the reality of his actions in light of the truth of the gospel. Peter's actions don't end in condemnation – he continues to stand as a man saved by grace alone.

Lastly, if you are saved by the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ and then go on living as though it is your good works that gets you right before God, that is always a very serious problem. It is doubly serious in this passage because of the potential impact Peter could have. Peter was a “capital A” Apostle of Jesus, and by his actions he had already led other Christians (such as Barnabas) into acting the same way. Paul's recognition of the seriousness of the matter caused him to confront Peter on the spot, in front of everyone else in the church.

So let's be reminded of the truth of the gospel today: we have been saved by grace alone, justified by faith in Christ, freed from needing to work for our salvation, so that we might live and eat together as one family in Christ. It’s so great that the gospel breaks all barriers – like Paul says a little further on in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Galatians 2:6-10

Galatians 2:6-10 - Daily Devotion - 6 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

In today’s passage, Paul will continue to recount the events from fourteen years earlier, when he had visited the church leaders in Jerusalem to discuss the issue of circumcision and the gospel.

6 But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism —those leaders added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.

9 And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Mercy Saw

Two things stand out to me from today’s passage. Firstly, Paul emphasises that God is the one behind his mission. He points out that the church leaders who people esteemed as the “original” apostles had not added to or changed Paul’s message. Instead, Paul had received the gospel directly from God. The church leaders recognised that Paul’s gospel was the same as theirs, and his authority came from God entrusting him to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised Gentiles.

This encourages me especially when thinking about sharing the gospel with others. Often when thinking about evangelism, we can esteem certain engaging big-name preachers or charismatic personalities who are good with words. I tend to look down on my own efforts and feel that they are small in comparison to those who seem more gifted. While we are not apostles and don’t have the same authority as they were given, we too have been entrusted with the gospel and the task to share this good news with those around us. We show God’s authority when we faithfully pass on the gospel to others, and can have confidence that God is the one at work by his grace through our efforts.

Secondly, the apostles were united in their mission of bringing the gospel to all people, circumcised or uncircumcised. They recognised that God’s gospel of grace welcomes in those who are far off and unites us all together as those receiving his forgiveness in Christ. This reminds me how radical it is that God’s promises to his chosen people in the Old Testament are now freely accessible to all who put our trust in Jesus. This also reminds us as Christians to keep basing our unity on belonging to Christ and our shared mission of going out to make disciples all of nations. This includes continuing to prioritise welcoming those who may seem like outsiders, and ensuring that our gospel message is backed by our practical love and care for those in need.

Let's give thanks to Jesus for the way his death has extended God’s salvation to Gentiles like us, and keep asking for his power to be at work in us as we share this good news.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mercy is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Galatians 2:1-5

Galatians 2:1-5 - Daily Devotion - 4 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I spoke privately to those recognized as leaders, for fear that I was running or had already run in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

4 This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Elise Le

I work among people who have all sorts of religious beliefs, and one of the more prominent religions in my workplace is Islam. Each year, many of my work colleagues observe Ramadan.

After work one night as I drove my friend home, I asked her a question about Ramadan. I asked, “Why do you fast? What does it all mean to you?”. She responded, “I’m not sure, I just do it because it’s a good thing to do and it pleases Allah. Allah sees my good deeds, and one day there is the hope that I can be in paradise because of it.” I then asked her, “How do you know that you’ll get to be in paradise?”, and she responded by saying, “You know what? I don’t actually know if I’ll really get to be in paradise, but I can try really hard to.” It was a conversation that made me quite sad. I was sad knowing that despite all her efforts in fasting and her prayers, she had no true hope that any of her efforts would earn her a place in paradise.

This passage reminded me of the great gospel message of grace, which so many people have not heard or don’t understand. We see in these few verses that Paul had met with the key leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem to discuss the gospel that he was preaching. It seems some people within the church were saying that to be a Christian, you must be circumcised and follow the Old Testament law. Paul however wants to affirm the true gospel message, that we are freed because of Christ (vs 4), and are not required to keep the law to be saved.

How great is it that our salvation is found through faith in Christ and by God’s grace and mercy alone. After my conversation with my colleague, God opened the door for me to share about this grace that I have received through Christ. This idea of grace was foreign to her, since we live in a culture of needing to work or do things to receive a good reward. I wonder if you sometimes think in the same way, even as a Christian? Do you sometimes say to yourself, “God will only be pleased with me if I…”. It is so important to keep reminding ourselves that we can never add to our salvation, that we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10).

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elise is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Galatians 1:18-24

Galatians 1:18-24 - Daily Devotion - 3 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

18 Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.

21 Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Yuan Vongsavanh

When something amazing happens that brings you into a very exclusive group of people – say if you’ve just been accepted into the fellowship of medical surgeons (the last census reported 668 surgeons in NSW) or given the title of Kings Counsel as one of the top barristers in the Commonwealth countries (last report 382 in NSW) – people would expect you to immediately celebrate with your fellow cohort, share experiences, or at least attend the gala dinner.

Not Paul. After he was appointed by Jesus himself as the apostle to the Gentiles, he went straight to work. In yesterday’s passage, Paul recounted his amazing conversion story. In verse 17 he explained that he did not go straight back to Jerusalem to meet with the other apostles and recount how Jesus appeared to him in the most dramatic way. Instead, he went straight to Arabia and Damascus to do what God instructed him to do: preach Christ among the Gentiles (v16).  In verses 18-19, he says that he didn’t return to Jerusalem until 3 years later – only for 15 days, and he only saw 1 other apostle (James) before going on to other cities to keep preaching about Christ. Very few people in the “mother church” in Jerusalem knew him, but they had all heard the report about him: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (v23). God used Paul’s conversion story and his life to bring people to Himself.

Paul knew the task that he was given and the purpose of his life, and he went straight to the work that he was set apart for – heading into 5 cities in the short space of 6 verses. Paul is able to say at the end of the chapter that “they glorified God because of me”. Let’s pray that we too can see our purpose and mission as clearly as Paul and take action without distraction, so that others hear about Christ through us and God is glorified!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yuan is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Galatians 1:13-17

Galatians 1:13-17 - Daily Devotion - 2 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

It’s always encouraging hearing someone’s testimony about how God saved them and brought them to faith in Jesus. Whether it’s dramatic or ordinary, at the heart of every person’s story is the grace of God to an undeserving rebel. Paul’s conversion story is as dramatic as they come, but it was one of pure grace. It was all God’s initiative (if you’re hazy on the details, take a few minutes to read Acts 9:1-31).

But Paul’s conversion was also very different to yours and mine. The risen Lord Jesus appeared to him in glory, personally and directly, and set him aside for a unique task: to “preach Him among the Gentiles.” Paul’s conversion was also his appointment as Apostle to the Gentiles.

The reason Paul tells that story here is, again, to defend himself against the false teachers in Galatia. They were accusing Paul of teaching a muddled gospel that he heard second-hand. But Paul reminds them of what they already knew – that Paul received the gospel from Jesus himself on the road to Damascus.

But the way Paul describes how he came to understand the gospel is striking. He says God “was pleased to reveal His Son in me.” Paul didn’t just receive information, or a message, idea or truth. He received a Person. He came to see that God’s entire plan for the world is focused on his Son – and as Paul accepted that truth, he began to know Jesus personally.

That’s another way in which Paul’s conversion story is like every believer’s story. Whether you heard the gospel through your parents, a friend, Scripture classes, or just from reading the Bible, when you believed it, you didn’t just receive information. You received Christ himself. In fact, God not only reveals Christ to us; as Christ dwells in us, God starts to form us into little reflections of his Son. And that means that as you go about your life – at work or school or with your neighbours – and as you seek to share something about Jesus with them, God will do something beautiful: He will show them Jesus in you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Galatians 1:10-12

Galatians 1:10-12 - Daily Devotion - 1 October 2025

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

10 Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I certify to you, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man.b 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Amelia Lin

I think that a common experience for all of us is finding it hard to discern what is true with all the messages we get from the world, whether this comes from social media, our friends, our workplaces, pop culture, or even our family. Often, we want to believe the messages that sound nice and that the people closest to us believe. It seems that this is similar to what the Galatian Christians were experiencing.

Paul has just rebuked the Galatians for turning to other truths that undermine the gospel of Christ, and he has urged them to live in the grace of Christ. In today’s passage Paul continues to challenge them by asking some rhetorical questions. In verse 10, Paul asks whether the Galatians think he is seeking the approval of people or of God? This was probably one of the tactics of the false teachers – they tried to discredit Paul by saying he was a people-pleaser. But Paul assures them, in verse 11, that he is a servant of Christ, so he seeks only the approval of God. They can be sure of that because the gospel that Paul preaches was not made up by Paul or any other mere person. He received the gospel he preaches by revelation from Jesus Christ.

I am thankful that when it is hard to discern what it true, we can be sure of the truth of the gospel of Christ, as it has been revealed to us in God’s Word and by His Spirit. When we are confused by the different teachings of the world, we can come back to the Bible, which is not of human origin! I think this is also a challenge for us to make sure that we are not getting distracted by what other people say and try to convince us of, and instead be firm in our conviction of the truth of God’s Word.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amelia is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation

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).

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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.