See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
– Isaiah 43:19 NIV
These words are spoken in the midst of God’s promise to redeem and protect His people. Throughout Isaiah 43, the Lord reminds Israel that He alone is Savior—there is no other source of rescue, no other power that can redeem. And yet, in the middle of a story already filled with God’s faithfulness, He declares that something new is breaking forth. A way is being made in the wilderness. Streams are appearing in the wasteland. God is at work even where life feels barren and hope feels distant.
This language carries us forward into the Gospels, where John the Baptist appears as a voice crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. His call to repentance and baptism invited people into a new understanding—not one rooted in striving harder or doing more, but in turning their hearts toward what God Himself was about to accomplish. So we are left to wonder: is this “new thing” truly new? Or has it always been God’s way? From the moment sin entered the world, redemption has never belonged to humanity—it has always belonged to God. Through every law, sacrifice, rule, and command, there has been only one power that saves: grace. Grace is the new thing God asks us to perceive. It is the quiet yet powerful work of God making a way where we cannot, bringing life where we least expect it, and inviting us to allow Him to work in, with, and through us.
There is much said in our current culture about how we aid and assist those in need. Two things seem increasingly clear:
- The need is real
AND - Much of the assistance provided unintentionally creates dependence rather than restoration. People are helped to survive, but not always empowered to flourish.
In the midst of this reality, we believe God is still “doing a new thing”—or perhaps not a new thing at all, but His way, lived out faithfully and intentionally.
At Love INC Heartland, we call this Redemptive Compassion. It is a way of walking alongside people that preserves dignity and restores hope. Redemptive Compassion recognizes that every person has value, God-given gifts, and a purpose to live into. Rather than defining people by their needs, it invites them to discover their strengths and to participate in what God is doing in their own lives. Just as God allowed Israel to walk through trials—not to abandon them, but to shape them—we believe God has something more for every person than what they can currently see. Something better. Something worth pursuing.
God has always been faithful to redeem and protect His people, and He continues that work today. When you support Love INC Heartland, you are joining in that promise—helping ensure that neighbors in need are not only assisted, but cared for, encouraged, and reminded of their God-given worth. Together, we get to witness God bringing streams of hope and restoration into places that once felt dry and forgotten.
Through your support of Love INC Heartland, you participate in God’s promise to redeem and protect His people by offering not just help, but hope, dignity, and a path toward restoration.
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In Christ,
Jim Holmlund
Executive Director – Love INC Heartland
763-972-6547 | info@loveincheartland.org
P.s. Spring is a reminder that our annual golf event is coming! Sponsorship packages + team tickets are available now! Spread the word and invite others in your community.