ESOCS Devotional 20 January 2026 -Thou Shall Not Be Cut-Off
MEMORY VERSE: “To them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.” Isaiah 56:5 NIVhe continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Luke 4:24 NIV
TEXT: ISAIAH 27:1–END
In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong,
Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent,
Leviathan that twisted serpent;
And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
2 In that day sing to her,
“A vineyard of red wine!
3 I, the Lord, keep it,
I water it every moment;
Lest any hurt it,
I keep it night and day.
4 Fury is not in Me.
Who would set briers and thorns
Against Me in battle?
I would go through them,
I would burn them together.
5 Or let him take hold of My strength,
That he may make peace with Me;
And he shall make peace with Me.”
6 Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob;
Israel shall blossom and bud,
And fill the face of the world with fruit.
7 Has He struck Israel as He struck those who struck him?
Or has He been slain according to the slaughter of those who were slain by Him?
8 In measure, by sending it away,
You contended with it.
He removes it by His rough wind
In the day of the east wind.
9 Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be covered;
And this is all the fruit of taking away his sin:
When he makes all the stones of the altar
Like chalkstones that are beaten to dust,
Wooden images and incense altars shall not stand.
10 Yet the fortified city will be desolate,
The habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness;
There the calf will feed, and there it will lie down
And consume its branches.
11 When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off;
The women come and set them on fire.
For it is a people of no understanding;
Therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them,
And He who formed them will show them no favor.
12 And it shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord will thresh,
From the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt;
And you will be gathered one by one,
O you children of Israel.
13 So it shall be in that day:
The great trumpet will be blown;
They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria,
And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt,
And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
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In this passage, God uses ravens unclean and unlikely creatures according to Jewish law (Leviticus 11:15) to feed His prophet. This Many times, society categorizes people based on status, origin or physical condition. In Isaiah 56, eunuchs and foreigners represent people who were often side-lined or disqualified by religious and cultural standards. But God overturns these limitations by recognizing their faithfulness and devotion. Psalm 147:3 reminds us: “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.” God not only sees those who are wounded or overlooked, He honours them with eternal value. Jesus also demonstrated this during His ministry by embracing the outcasts, including lepers, tax collectors, and Samaritans. In John 6:37, Jesus says, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
This promise reveals that God’s recognition transcends human categories. While many valued lineage, status or bloodline, God offers a name, an identity in His house that is better than earthly titles. This name is rooted not in physical descent but in spiritual connection with Him. In Revelation 2:17, we are told, “To the one who is victorious… I will give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” God values those who are faithful, regardless of human background or status.
God’s promise of an everlasting name contrasts with the temporal nature of human fame and recognition. The world may forget us, but God’s memorial endures forever. When we are in Christ, our identity is secure. As Romans 8:16-17 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children… heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” In Christ, we have been grafted into God’s family (Romans 11:17), and we carry a name that cannot be erased or cut off, not by rejection, not by shame, not by our past.
Reflections
- Have you ever felt disqualified or overlooked?
- What does it mean to you that God gives an “everlasting name”?
- How can you live today in the confidence of God’s acceptance and love?
Prayer
- Lord, thank you that in you, I am never forgotten or cut off. Thank you for giving me a name, a place, and a purpose that will last forever. Help me to walk faithfully, knowing that your promises are greater than human rejection. I receive your everlasting love and identity with gratitude. Amen.
Further Reading: Isaiah 29:13–End; Luke 4:29-End; 1 Peter 1:31-14
ESOCS Devotional 20 January 2026
