ESOCS Devotional 24 January 2026 – Time to Wake Up
“Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendour, Jerusalem, the holy city…..” Isaiah 52:1
TEXT: ISAIAH 52:1–10
Awake, awake!
Put on your strength, O Zion;
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city!
For the uncircumcised and the unclean
Shall no longer come to you.
2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise;
Sit down, O Jerusalem!
Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion!
3 For thus says the Lord:
“You have sold yourselves for nothing,
And you shall be redeemed without money.”
4 For thus says the Lord God:
“My people went down at first
Into Egypt to dwell there;
Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord,
“That My people are taken away for nothing?
Those who rule over them
Make them wail,” says the Lord,
“And My name is blasphemed continually every day.
6 Therefore My people shall know My name;
Therefore they shall know in that day
That I am He who speaks:
‘Behold, it is I.’ ”
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices,
With their voices they shall sing together;
For they shall see eye to eye
When the Lord brings back Zion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together,
You waste places of Jerusalem!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has made bare His holy arm
In the eyes of all the nations;
And all the ends of the earth shall see
The salvation of our God.
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A call to spiritual awakening. God speaks to Jerusalem His chosen city and symbolic representation of His people with urgency: “Awake, awake!” This is not merely a physical call from sleep, but a deep spiritual summons. The people of God had been slumbering in discouragement, captivity, and compromise. Now, God declares that it is time to rise, dress in strength and beauty, and prepare for restoration. We live in a time when the same call echoes to the Church and every believer: it is time to wake up. Where do we wake up from?
Wake up from complacency (Romans 13:11–12):
Paul writes, “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Many Christians today are spiritually asleep—not dead, but inactive, indifferent, and distracted. The enemy’s tactic is not always destruction; often, it is dullness. But God is calling us to awaken to the reality of His kingdom, the urgency of our mission, and the nearness of Christ’s return.
Clothe yourself with strength (Ephesians 6:10–11):
Isaiah calls God’s people to “clothe [themselves] with strength.” This echoes Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God.” Spiritual awakening is not passive—it requires putting on the strength and protection that God provides. As we wake up, we must also suit up, ready for the battles ahead.
Wear garments of splendour (Isaiah 61:10):
God’s plan for His people includes dignity and holiness – “He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness.” The garments of splendour in Isaiah 52:1 speak to the beauty of a life redeemed, restored, and consecrated to God. As we awake, we must also cast off the clothes of shame, sin, and fear, and put on Christ (Romans 13:14).
Cleanse and consecrate yourself (2 Corinthians 6:17–18):
God declares that “the uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.” This speaks of holiness. A spiritual awakening demands that we draw a clear line between what is clean and unclean. We are called to be in the world but not of it. “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord. A life that is awake must also be set apart.
Reflections
- Are you spiritually awake or have distractions, disappointments, or habits dulled your hunger for God?
- Have you clothed yourself with His strength and righteousness? Are you still wearing the garments of the past? God is calling “Awake, awake!” This is your moment to rise.
Prayer:
- Lord, awaken my soul. Shake me from spiritual slumber and help me to live fully awake to your presence, your purposes, and your power. Clothe me with your strength, your righteousness, and your beauty. Help me walk in holiness and shine with your glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further Reading: Isaiah 34:1–End; Matthew 1:18–End; Acts 7:59-End; 8:1-8
ESOCS Devotional 24 January 2026
