ESOCS Devotional 23 August 2026 – Cause For Joy
MEMORY VERSE: Zeph. 3:17“The LORD your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will clothe you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
TEXT: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.
19 Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.
20 At that time I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.
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At a time Israel was not able to celebrate their great religious festivals. It was the time in captivity when Judah was held by Babylon (Zeph. 3:18). But in our text we see a message of victory from the prophet saying that the LORD has taken away their punishment and turned back their enemy. They were thus asked to sing, shout in praise and rejoice. (Zeph. 3:14-17).
It is the same message of relief and salvation that we get today. Jesus has died for us and thereby paid the prize of our sins with the result that our punishment for sin is stopped and we are now entitled to eternal and happy life. All we need to do is to believe this message and act on it. We act by confession of our sins, repentance, accepting Jesus Christ and relying totally on him and on his words. By this the Holy Spirit brings joy and energy into our sad and weak lives. (John 3:16, Acts 1:8, Rom. 8:1-3).
When the Lord sets you free and gives you a befitting position, no one can change it. In verse 19 of our text we read in part: “…. I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue and gather those that have been scattered.” God is faithful to his words. Let us therefore find a cause out of the many things we enjoy in life to be happy with God and live in joy.
Question
Can you find wonders and miracles around you for which you are joyful?
Prayer
Father, do more of your wonders in my life every day in Jesus name. Amen.
Further Reading:
Isaiah 15:1-end, Acts 12:1-16, Matt. 15:40, 16:1-7.
ESOCS Devotional 23 August 2026
