Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

God is Right on Time {No Matter What Monday}

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Do you ever have those days when you run behind schedule All. Day. Long?? You have a to-do list that’s growing, not shrinking. You hit snooze one time too many and get a late start. The dog pees the carpet right as you’re leaving the house. Your toddler goes on strike and refuses to put on his shoes. And of course, it’s pouring rain and traffic is terrible. 

I don’t have the toddler excuse anymore. But I still have a snooze button, a dog, and a to-do list, and I have a lot of these can’t-catch-up days. I don’t seem to have enough time to do all that I need to do, yet I try to squeeze it all in. I end up running late every step of the way. 

God never has one of those days. Psalm 90 tells us that God has all the time in the world. Literally. 

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2)

From everlasting to everlasting—can you imagine? The eternal existence of God is more than my finite brain can grasp. 

But I know this: from everlasting to everlasting is a really, really long time. God never has to worry about accomplishing all He plans to do. He is never rushed, never running behind schedule, never cutting corners to catch up. 

God is always right on time. 

From our perspective, we sometimes feel that God could hustle a bit more. We’d like Him to heal our friend, provide a new job, or answer our questions—and if it would have been done yesterday, it wouldn’t have been too soon. 

The reality is, God’s timing is always perfect. He isn’t bound by time, but rather He rules over it. He uses time to bring about His purposes in our lives, and it’s always just right. 

No matter what you face this week, God is always right on time. 

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Trust in God’s Steadfast Love {No Matter What Monday}

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Have you ever felt forgettable? Several years ago, a woman introduced herself to me, thinking we’d never met. But she’d actually hosted a skin care party at my house a few months earlier. I felt very forgettable that day. 

As much as it hurts to be forgotten by another person, it’s even more painful when we feel forgotten by the Lord. In Psalm 13:1, David cries out to God in his pain and says, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” 

Maybe you’ve felt the same way.  You look at the circumstances and suffering in your life and wonder why God seems to be ignoring your prayers for help. 

David doesn’t shy away from asking God his difficult questions. He’s honest about his pain and sorrow. He pleads with God to listen and answer his cries for rescue. And at the end of the psalm, David reminds himself of the truth of God’s character: 

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6)

Even when he feels forgotten, David trusts God’s steadfast love. His circumstances haven’t changed, but he’s choosing to remember what he knows to be true about his God. 

The Hebrew word that is translated “steadfast love” in verse 5 implies not just love but also faithfulness and loyalty. God’s steadfast love is His commitment to keep His covenant promises to His people. This love is steadfast because it’s based on God’s promises rather than on how much we deserve it. 

David knows God will never forget him or abandon him, because God promised to be with David. God can always be counted on to keep His promises. God’s steadfast love endures forever, because God’s promises endure forever. 

No matter what you face this week, trust in God’s steadfast love. 

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Jesus Christ gives us the victory {No Matter What Monday}

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Have you ever seen the Who Would Win book series? These children’s books depict a hypothetical battle between two animals and predict the outcome. Could a giant squid defeat a whale? What if a tiger and a lion dueled to the death? What about a tarantula vs. a scorpion? That’s a match I hope I never have to see! 

Some days, the world around us might make us wonder, “Who’s gonna win? Will God really come out on top here, or are the forces of evil too great?” It seems like sin, wickedness, and death are winning. We watch as violence rages around the world, disease threatens those we love, and sin rips families apart. 

The Bible is the ultimate Who Would Win book, and the outcome is not hypothetical. Spoiler alert: Jesus wins. And because we are united to Him by faith, His victory is our victory. 

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Through all of April, we’ve been looking at the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. He took our condemnation, gave us His righteousness, secured our forgiveness, and conquered death. As we live out our days as those who have been redeemed, we also have His power as we deal with the evil we face in this world. We face temptation and we grieve the effects of this fallen world. But there is hope! 

First John 4:4 proclaims that He who is in you (God the Spirit) is greater than he who is in the world (the devil and the forces of evil). God’s victory has already taken place. Jesus Christ sits at the Father’s right hand and reigns over all powers and dominions (Eph. 1:19-21). His Spirit dwells in us, reminding us to not lose heart because glory is coming (2 Cor. 4:16-18). 

As you wade through the muck of sin, evil, and the difficulties of life in this fallen world, the One who is in you – the One who will never leave you or forsake you – is greater than your most threatening enemy. You have overcome, because He has overcome. 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ gives us the victory. 

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Jesus Christ conquered death {No Matter What Monday}

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I’ll never forget the look of joy on his little three-year-old face when he heard the news. My son Christopher was eating breakfast at the kitchen table when he started asking questions about Jesus. He’d heard repeatedly that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins. But apparently we failed to mention one crucial piece of information—Jesus didn’t stay dead. When I mentioned that Jesus rose from the dead, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, “Jesus is ALIVE?!?” He clapped his hands exuberantly and shouted, “Yaaaaaay!” 

It was such a joy to witness the moment my son first learned the good news of the resurrection. He realized for the first time that death didn’t win. Jesus isn’t still in the grave. He is risen! 

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:20 and 55, NIV)

Friend, this is good news: Jesus is alive! He isn’t just a suffering Savior who died in your place but a reigning King who conquered the power of death. He rose victorious over the ultimate enemy. We read in Revelation 1:18 that Jesus holds the keys to death and hades. Death has no power over Him.

Our risen Savior is the firstfruits of the resurrection. “Firstfruits” implies that there are more resurrection fruits to come! When He stepped out of the grave, He made a way for us to have new life in Him now and eternal life with Him forever. Death has no power over Him, and it also has no power over those of us who are in Christ. 

This is another one of the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection that we’ve been studying this month. Jesus Christ has paid our debt, given us His perfect record, forgiven our sin, and conquered death for us. 

Even though we feel the pain of death here temporarily, we can look at the empty grave of Christ and say with Paul, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Jesus Christ took the sting of death for us, so we wait eagerly for the day when we feel it no more. 

No matter what you face this week, the risen Christ conquered death for you. 

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