Psalm 85 - Daily Devotion - 9 May 2026

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 You showed favor to Your land, O LORD;
You restored Jacob from captivity.
2 You forgave the iniquity of Your people;
You covered all their sin.

Selah
3 You withheld all Your fury;
You turned from Your burning anger.

4 Restore us, O God of our salvation,
and put away Your displeasure toward us.
5 Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You draw out Your anger to all generations?
6 Will You not revive us again,
that Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your loving devotion, O LORD,
and grant us Your salvation.

8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints;
He will not let them return to folly.
9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
that His glory may dwell in our land.

10 Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Faithfulness sprouts from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The LORD will indeed provide what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before Him
to prepare the way for His steps.

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 84 - Daily Devotion - 8 May 2026

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. According to Gittith.[A] A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 How lovely is Your dwelling place,
O LORD of Hosts!
2 My soul longs, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she places her young near Your altars,
O LORD of Hosts, my King and my God.
4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You.

Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
even the autumn rain covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
until each appears before God in Zion.

8 O LORD God of Hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob.

Selah
9 Take notice of our shield, O God,
and look with favor on the face of Your anointed.
10 For better is one day in Your courts
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and a shield;
the LORD gives grace and glory;
He withholds no good thing
from those who walk with integrity.

12 O LORD of Hosts,
how blessed is the man who trusts in You!

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 83 - Daily Devotion - 7 May 2026

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 song. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, be not silent; be not speechless;
be not still, O God.2 See how Your enemies rage,
how Your foes have reared their heads.
3 With cunning they scheme against Your people
and conspire against those You cherish,
4 saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation;
may the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

5 For with one mind they plot together,
they form an alliance against You—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,
of Philistia with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them,
lending strength to the sons of Lot.

Selah
9 Do to them as You did to Midian,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us possess for ourselves
the pastures of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, O my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes a forest,
as a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with Your tempest,
and terrify them with Your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame,
that they may seek Your name, O LORD.

17 May they be ever ashamed and terrified;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 May they know that You alone,
whose name is the LORD,
are Most High over all the earth.

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.

Psalms 81 & 82 - Daily Devotion - 6 May 2026

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 81

For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph.

1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.
2 Lift up a song, strike the tambourine,
play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.
3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.
4 For this is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph
when he went out over the land of Egypt,
where I heard an unfamiliar language:

6 “I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
7 You called out in distress, and I rescued you;
I answered you from the cloud of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Selah
8 Hear, O My people, and I will warn you:
O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
9 There must be no strange god among you,
nor shall you bow to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth,
and I will fill it.

11 But My people would not listen to Me,
and Israel would not obey Me.
12 So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 If only My people would listen to Me,
if Israel would follow My ways,
14 how soon I would subdue their enemies
and turn My hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience,
and their doom would last forever.
16 But I would feed you the finest wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

psalm 82

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 God presides in the divine assembly;
He renders judgment among the gods:

2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked?

Selah
3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and needy;
save them from the hand of the wicked.
5 They do not know or understand;
they wander in the darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I have said, ‘You are gods;
you are all sons of the Most High.’
7 But like mortals you will die,
and like rulers you will fall.”

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth,
for all the nations are Your inheritance.

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 80 - Daily Devotion - 5 May 2026

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. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel,
who leads Joseph like a flock;
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth
2 before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Rally Your mighty power
and come to save us.
3 Restore us, O God,
and cause Your face to shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

4 O LORD God of Hosts,
how long will Your anger smolder
against the prayers of Your people?
5 You fed them with the bread of tears
and made them drink the full measure of their tears.
6 You make us contend with our neighbors;
our enemies mock us.
7 Restore us, O God of Hosts,
and cause Your face to shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt;
You drove out the nations and transplanted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shade,
and the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to the Sea,
and its shoots toward the River.

12 Why have You broken down its walls,
so that all who pass by pick its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
and the creatures of the field feed upon it.
14 Return, O God of Hosts, we pray!
Look down from heaven and see!
Attend to this vine—
15 the root Your right hand has planted,
the son You have raised up for Yourself.

16 Your vine has been cut down and burned;
they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
17 Let Your hand be upon the man at Your right hand,
on the son of man You have raised up for Yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from You;
revive us, and we will call on Your name.
19 Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts;
cause Your face to shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

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 79 - Daily Devotion - 4 May 2026

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

This month, we are returning to our devotions through the book of Psalms. For these devotions, instead of hearing someone else’s reflections like we normally do, each day I’ll ask you to reflect on the Psalm yourself using two simple questions:

1. What things in the 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.

But don’t worry if you can’t always think of something – just read, reflect and pray.

~~~

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance;
they have defiled Your holy temple
and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
2 They have given the corpses of Your servants
as food to the birds of the air,
the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury the dead.
4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
a scorn and derision to those around us.

5 How long, O LORD?
Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations
that do not acknowledge You,
on the kingdoms
that refuse to call on Your name,
7 for they have devoured Jacob
and devastated his homeland.

8 Do not hold past sins against us;
let Your compassion come quickly,
for we are brought low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of Your name;
deliver us and atone for our sins,
for the sake of Your name.
10 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.

11 May the groans of the captives reach You;
by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death.
12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors
sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.
13 Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture,
will thank You forever;
from generation to generation
we will declare Your praise.

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.

John 9:39-41 - Daily Devotion - 2 May 2026

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

39 Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”

40 Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?”

41 “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ness Wong

Today’s passage concludes the story of John 9 with irony – “that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.” (v 39). Jesus had not just healed a blind man of his physical blindness, but enlightened him spiritually to see and believe in the Son of Man. This healed blind man contrasted starkly with the Pharisees. Although the Pharisees claimed to know God’s law (v 14-16), though they had seen the miraculous evidence of Jesus’ divine power (v 16, 18-20), and though they had heard the blind man’s testimony twice (v 24, 27), they remained blinded to the reality that Jesus indeed was sent from God. And so – Jesus warned them – they remained guilty of their sins and would be judged.

At first, I marvelled at the Pharisees’ hard-heartedness. I traced through Jesus’ lengthy dialogue with the Pharisees in John 7–10. He warned them repeatedly that they would die in their sins if they did not repent and believe in Him (John 8:24). While Jesus’ warnings may come across as harsh, each challenge was also a gracious invitation to ask Him for forgiveness and be freed from sin (John 8:34-36).

Then I was also struck by my own stubbornness of heart. Although I have sought Jesus’ forgiveness, I often stray back to sinning – particularly in lack of contentment and holding grudges. In this sense I am too much like the Pharisees – I claim to “see”, and I do “see”, but often still act as if I am “blind”. And I heard Jesus calling me to repent. 

This passage spurred me to keep praying for people who have had opportunities to hear the gospel and have been encouraged to know Jesus, but have not yet repented and believed – including people in my extended family. I also pray that Jesus will keep opening my eyes to recognise my own sins, and that He will enable me to repent and follow Him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ness is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

John 9:35-38 - Daily Devotion - 1 May 2026

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, He found the man and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man ?”

36 “Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”

37 “You have already seen Him,” Jesus answered. “He is the One speaking with you.”

38 “Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ken Ip

In these verses, we see how Jesus not only notices the man's boldness in standing up to the Pharisees, he then goes back to find the man, to comfort him and strengthen his faith. It shows that Jesus wasn't just concerned about the man’s physical health; he was concerned with his spiritual wellbeing.

In verse 35 Jesus asks him a simple but powerful question: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man’s response shows his genuine gratitude he for the kindness that has been shown to him: “Who is He, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”

I find it interesting that here, Jesus clearly reveals who He is, which He didn’t always do until the time came for him to go to the cross. Another instance when Jesus clearly revealed his identity was with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). In both cases, it’s to people on the margins – a man who was blind and thrown out by the Pharisees (v 34) and a woman who was rejected by society. I'm reminded that often God has a heart for those society overlooks. Do we also have the same love for those on the margins? They are often the ones who will respond to Jesus. We all know of people who feel secure in their wealth, knowledge or power, and who don’t see their need for Jesus. Sadly, they think they have everything, but remain spiritually blind.

We live in a world where technology may one day be able to cure many causes of blindness, but I'm reminded from this passage that what matters most is spiritual sight – to recognize who Jesus really is, understand our need for Him, and respond to him. In the final few verses, we watch this man's understanding of Jesus grow from “a man” to “a prophet” and finally to the Lord who he worships. Let's pray that as we share the good news of Jesus with others, they too will come to know and worship him as Lord and saviour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ken is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

John 9:24-34 - Daily Devotion - 30 April 2026

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

24 So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”

25 He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!”

26 “What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?”

27 He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

28 Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.”

30 “That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will. 32 Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”

34 They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Dania Mourad

When I read through this passage, I had many lightbulbs turn on. While it seems like a simple case of “Jesus restores a blind man’s sight,” this miracle unveils so much more. What was first clear to me was the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees – how they saw and heard the man’s testimony, yet they still did not believe. It reminded me of the Israelites in Numbers 13–14, when they were on the border of the promised land and God commanded them to enter and take possession of it. They had seen God part the Red Sea and provide food and water for them in the wilderness, yet they refused to trust him when facing Canaan. It struck me that unbelief is often not a matter of lacking evidence, but of resisting what is already clear because it challenges our control, assumptions, or pride. My prayer is that God removes the veil of unbelief and pride from all non-believers, whether they are atheists or modern-day religious Pharisees. My prayer is also that God continues to strengthen the faith of all believers as we journey with him in this life. I also found myself reflecting on how easy it is, even as believers, to slip into subtle forms of spiritual blindness, by forgetting God’s power and kindness in rescuing us and giving us eternal life through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Another valuable angle of this passage I reflected upon was the testimony of the believer. I believe that despite others’ unbelief, there is still power in our testimony. So often we underestimate our Christian testimony, thinking it’s too little, too basic or too dense, and that people will be scared away by it. But God has brought us to him and healed us in different ways that are powerfully reflective of who he is. My prayer is that even when we share our testimony and others don’t turn to faith, God will grant us the comfort and courage to continue sharing it and trusting in his work. The healed man boldly stood his ground in testifying to who he knew Jesus to be, despite the pressure of the Pharisees. May our faithful God continue to give us his strength to keep sharing our testimony and ultimately sharing the gospel to bring many to Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dania is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

John 9:18-23 - Daily Devotion - 29 April 2026

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

18 The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight until they summoned his parents 19 and asked, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he can now see?”

20 His parents answered, “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can now see or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”

22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today’s passage gives us a picture of two different fear responses: threats and staying quiet.

I suspect the Jewish leaders were afraid of losing their positions of power and influence if people started believing in Jesus. They responded to their fear by threatening to excommunicate anyone who confessed Jesus as the Messiah. You would think that they would have been eager to consider this man Jesus – after all, the Old Testament prophets had said that when God’s promised salvation arrived, the eyes of the blind would be opened (Isaiah 35:5). But they had already prejudged Jesus – they thought they had too much to lose.

The blind man’s parents were afraid for a much more obvious reason: the threats of the Jewish leaders. They respond by staying quiet. They don’t want to talk about how their son had been gloriously healed. Instead, they throw their son under the bus – “Leave us alone, go talk to him.”

I can relate to their fear response. I’ve kept quiet instead of speaking up about Jesus. I’ve felt intimidated and nervous when someone challenges me on whether faith in Jesus is credible.

But I was also remembering today that as Christians, we really do have the power in us to overcome that fear and not worry about people’s disapproval or threats. It’s not a power of our own, it’s the Holy Spirit who lives in us. In Miriam Bradshaw’s latest prayer letter from Spain, she shared about a boy called Christian who is 16 (and yes, he’s a Christian!). One of his teachers told them to bring a physical book to school to read for one hour a week. He started taking his Bible. Miriam said, “He’s attracted the ire of his teacher but the interest of his friends, two of whom he’s since bought Bibles for too.” What a contrast to the blind man’s parents! I’m sure Christian felt intimidated by his teacher’s disapproval, but he’s a great reminder of the difference that knowing Jesus makes. When you have the assurance of knowing that God is with you and you have eternal life, you can learn to overcome your fear and speak about your faith in Jesus. And God will use our words, in his time, to bring others to find new life in Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.