``Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, A leader and commander for the peoples. Listen, that you may live And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. ``Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. ``Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters And you who have no money come, buy and eat. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD. ``No weapon that is formed against you will prosper And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. ``Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals And brings out a weapon for its work And I have created the destroyer to ruin. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. ``If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. ``In righteousness you will be established You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear And from terror, for it will not come near you. ``All your sons will be taught of the LORD And the well-being of your sons will be great. ``Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones. ``O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. ``For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you. ``For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you. ``In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer. ``For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you. ``For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," Says your God. ``For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. ``Fear not, for you will not be put to shame And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. And your descendants will possess nations And will resettle the desolate cities. ``For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. ``Enlarge the place of your tent Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs. ``Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman," says the LORD. Then you’ll find you can rejoice in Him and increasingly depend on His strength. Over time you’ll become more confident that He’s doing a good work in your life. But you’ll be better able to handle them in a way that brings spiritual benefit while also honoring the Lord. And He designs the difficulty according to our areas of weakness so we’ll grow spiritually strong and lack nothing of eternal value (James 1:4).Īs God matures you, the intensity of trials may seem to build. His goal is not to destroy us but to make us like His Son. The Lord controls and sets limits on our burdens so they don’t overwhelm us. Relatively speaking, this life and its hardships won’t last long. God’s goal is to develop perseverance in His children, along with proven character and, ultimately, hope. But if you understand what the Lord is accomplishing through adversity and how He’s mercifully overseeing the events of your life, it’s possible to respond with gratitude and joy. After all, joy and gladness hardly seem fitting when you’re going through a difficult trial. Perhaps you read today’s verses and wondered how you could ever exalt or celebrate in your tribulations.
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