ESOCS Devotional 8 January 2026 – God’s Assurance
MEMORY VERSE: “Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘It will not take place, it will not happen.’” Isaiah 7:7 NIV
TEXT: ISAIAH 7: 1-END
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4 and say to him: Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— 7 thus says the Lord God:
“It shall not stand,
Nor shall it come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus,
And the head of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken,
So that it will not be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
And the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son.
If you will not believe,
Surely you shall not be established.” ’ ”
10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”
13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”
18 And it shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord will whistle for the fly
That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt,
And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 They will come, and all of them will rest
In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks,
And on all thorns and in all pastures.
20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor,
With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria,
The head and the hair of the legs,
And will also remove the beard.
21 It shall be in that day
That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep;
22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give,
That he will eat curds;
For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.
23 It shall happen in that day,
That wherever there could be a thousand vines
Worth a thousand shekels of silver,
It will be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and bows men will come there,
Because all the land will become briers and thorns.
25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe,
You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns;
But it will become a range for oxen
And a place for sheep to roam.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
Two neighbouring kings had plotted to attack Jerusalem, and the people’s hearts “shook like the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind” (Isaiah 7:2). But through the prophet Isaiah, God declares with authority: “It will not take place, it will not happen.” This verse is a reminder that no threat or fear can override the promises of God. His assurance is not empty or weak; it comes from the Sovereign Lord who controls all things. When God gives His word, it stands firm against every enemy plan, human fear, and uncertain circumstance.
When trouble surrounds us, be it in the form of bad news, health crises or looming challenges, it’s easy to panic like King Ahaz and the people of Judah. But God does not want His children to be ruled by fear. In Isaiah 41:10, He says: “So do not fear, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God’s assurance is not just about removing trouble, it is about His abiding presence in the midst of it. God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). When He says something won’t happen, it won’t. His power backs His promises. In Isaiah 46:10, He declares: “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” God’s assurance is rooted in His ability to control outcomes. He knows the end from the beginning, and no force can oppose His will. In Romans 8:31, Paul reminds believers, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” This is the kind of confidence Isaiah 7:7 offers. Though enemies may plot, God’s assurance stands higher than any plan of man.
In Isaiah 7:9, God tells Ahaz: “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Assurance comes not only by hearing God’s word but by believing it. Doubt weakens our stability, but faith anchors us in God’s unchanging truth. James 1:6 warns that the one who doubts is “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” God’s assurance is firm, but we must choose to trust it. Even when our situation seems impossible, faith clings to God’s – “It will not happen,” says the Lord!
Reflections
- What fears are you facing today that need to be surrendered to God’s assurance?
- Have you been more focused on the threat or on God’s promise?
- How can you remind yourself daily of the sovereignty and faithfulness of God?
Prayer
- Lord, thank you for the assurance that comes from your Word. Help me to trust your promises and not be shaken by fear, threats, or uncertainty. Remind me that no plan against me can succeed when I stand in your truth. I choose to believe your assurance today. Amen.
Further Reading: Isaiah 5:18–End; Matthew 24:29-End; 2 Timothy 3:1-4, 8
ESOCS Devotional 8 January 2026
