Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Suffering Leads to Reliance {No Matter What Monday}

by Leave a Comment

My grandpa loved to tell the story of letting my dad drive a tractor when he was a young child. My dad sat on his dad’s lap with his small hands on the steering wheel as they drove over smooth ground. But when they hit a rough patch of bumpy road and the steering wheel bounced erratically, he would throw his hands in the air and yell, “Take it, Dad!” 

In a similar way, our suffering causes us to cry out to our Heavenly Father for help. When life is smooth, we are often lulled into thinking we can handle things on our own. Then the rocky patches come and we have no choice but to throw up our hands and plead with Him to pull us through. 

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

In these verses, Paul is telling the Corinthians about his severe suffering—trials so severe that Paul and his companions hoped death would come quickly. But Paul sees God’s purpose in the pain: “to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” 

We cherish our self-sufficiency, don’t we? It’s hard to admit our weakness and ask for help. But when our suffering pushes us to deeper reliance on the Lord, we find He is there, gripping the wheel, guiding us through the hard times. Our greater reliance on Him is a gift He gives us by His grace. 

No matter what you face this week, God will use your suffering to grow your reliance on Him. 

Share

Our Suffering Advances the Gospel {No Matter What Monday}

by 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered if there was a purpose to your pain? Knowing there’s a purpose behind our difficult circumstances doesn’t take away the sting of suffering, but it can give us a glimmer of encouragement and help us persevere.

This month, we’re looking at God’s purpose in suffering. Our goal isn’t to wrap up suffering in a neat package with a bow. There’s nothing pretty about pain. But in God’s kind sovereignty, He brings beauty from brokenness as He weaves our trials into the tapestry of His purposes. 

In Philippians, Paul addresses friends who were upset about his imprisonment. These friends feared Paul’s imprisonment would end his travel and preaching. They may have worried that the entire Christian movement would fizzle out and die. But Paul reassured them that the gospel continued to go forth: 

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

Your suffering may look differently from Paul’s, but God will use it to advance the gospel. Maybe your suffering is private. No one else even knows. But as you grow in dependence on the Lord, you’re advancing the gospel in your own heart. If your suffering is known by your family or a small circle of friends, they can watch you run to the Lord with your pain and be encouraged to trust Him more. 

Whether you’re encouraging thousands with your story or quietly walking in obedience each day, rest assured that in God’s economy, no suffering is wasted. Your trials are advancing the good news of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace. 

No matter what we face this week, our suffering advances the gospel. 

Share

God Cares For You {No Matter What Monday}

by Leave a Comment

Have you ever been stuck in traffic in a big city? When I’m sitting in several lanes of gridlock, watching several more lanes of gridlock on the other side, I’m struck by how many people there are in the world. Who are all these people, and why are they trying to get somewhere at the same time I am?! If there are this many people in one spot of highway in one city, what must that mean about how many people are on this globe? 

It makes me feel so small—I’m one of 7 billion people on earth. And this planet is just one tiny speck in all of God’s creation. According to Space.com, the Milky Way alone contains over 200 billion stars—and we are one of the smaller galaxies! 

Simply put, the size of God’s creation is beyond comprehension. I’m one of 7 billion on one of several planets circling one of 200 billion stars in one of only-God-knows-how-many galaxies in the universe. 

And yet, God cares for me. 

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

Your Heavenly Father placed each one of those stars not just in the Milky Way, but in the entire universe. He knows each one and sustains them by His power. 

He not only knows every star, He also knows you. He knows your schedule, your to-do list, your worries, your struggles, your tears. He knows your past, your present, and your future. He cares for you and will never let you go. 

When you feel overwhelmed by your calendar, God cares for you. When you wonder if your sorrow will ever end, God cares for you. When you feel small and insignificant in a big, noisy world, God cares for you. 

No matter what you face this week, the One who placed all the stars in the heavens cares for you. 

Share

God’s Abundant Goodness {No Matter What Monday}

by Leave a Comment

I love the language of Psalms. They are honest and raw, and yet full of beautiful praise. In Psalm 31, we see David work his way through the full range of emotions. In verse 9, he’s in distress. In verse 12, he’s been forgotten by everyone as if he was dead. He blesses the Lord and proclaims His covenant love in verse 21 and exhorts others to love the Lord in verse 23. 

In the context of “terror on every side” (verse 13)  and a desperate need for rescue, we find these words describing God’s goodness: 

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” (Psalm 31:19)

First, David says that God’s goodness is abundant. One day when I was in the abyss of potty training a toddler, I put clothes in the laundry room sink to soak and forgot to turn off the faucet. I learned how quickly abundant water spreads throughout a room! God’s goodness is abundant and overflowing. It never runs out. It rushes into every corner of our lives and covers every inch. 

David also tells us that God’s goodness is stored up for us. We don’t use up God’s goodness on our first day as His child. There are storehouses full of His abundant goodness that will never be emptied.  

And God’s goodness is at work in our lives. God’s goodness isn’t just a nice theoretical idea. God’s goodness takes action. He works for our good and His glory in all the circumstances of our lives (Romans 8:28). 

Because of God’s abundant goodness, we can commit our days to Him (Psalm 31:5, 15). We can trust in Him (Psalm 31:14). We can be strong and have courage as we wait for the Lord (Psalm 31:24). 

No matter what you face this week, take refuge in God’s abundant goodness. 

Share