Strength for those facing extended difficulty

8 “But you, Israel, my servant,  
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    you descendants of Abraham my friend,

9 I took you from the ends of the earth,
    from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

11 “All who rage against you
    will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
    will be as nothing and perish.

12 Though you search for your enemies,
    you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
    will be as nothing at all.

13 For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.

14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,
    little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord,
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,
    new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and crush them,
    and reduce the hills to chaff.

16 You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,
    and a gale will blow them away.
But you will rejoice in the Lord
    and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 “The poor and needy search for water,
    but there is none;
    their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
    I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
    and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
    and the parched ground into springs.

19 I will put in the desert
    the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers in the wasteland,
    the fir and the cypress together,

20 so that people may see and know,
    may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    that the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

~ Isaiah 41.8-20

The featured image is courtesy of Julie Jablonski for The Cultivating Project.

This passage from Isaiah was sent by Julie to encourage a fellow Cultivating Project team member. It seems fitting that we include it for the sake of other readers who will also need its assurance of hope, protection, and provision from the hand of our ever-faithful God. 

Julie Jablonski

Julie is a still-life photographer who finds endless beauty in the small, delicate details of nature and everyday life. Self taught and still learning, store bought flowers paired with vintage china pieces are some of her favorite photo subjects. Julie lives in southeastern Wisconsin with her husband David. After more than 30 years together, they are now empty nesters, and still wildly in love. When she’s not taking photos, shopping at antique and thrift stores with her husband, or visiting with her two kids and their loves, she spends time reading, writing, and dabbling in various forms of art. Above all else however, Julie is a lover and follower of Jesus Christ and wants nothing more than for her life to bring God glory.