Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Healed by Christ’s Wounds {No Matter What Monday}

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Years ago at my son’s 4-year-old checkup, his pediatrician asked if he had any chores. He replied that he didn’t have any chores, but he had a job and a problem. That got the attention of all of us in the room! He explained that his job was to keep his baby sister awake in the car. (Yep!) His problem was that his grandpa had offered him some pickled beets, and they smelled sour.

In the mind of a 4-year-old boy, stinky vegetables are a serious problem.

It feels like so many problems are stinking up our lives right now. A life-altering virus. Financial strain. Holidays that may not be so merry. Personal struggles that don’t hit pause just because there’s a global crisis.

But God’s Word tells us our most serious problem is our sin. This problem is universal, and it ranks at the top of the Problem List because our sin separates us from our holy God.

If your greatest problem is a virus, a bank account balance, or the holiday blues, then your solution is a vaccine, a new credit card, or some mind-numbing entertainment.

If your greatest problem is your sin, you need a Savior. The prophet Isaiah foretold this reason the Messiah would come—to suffer and die for our sin in order to reconcile us to God.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

And according to 1 Peter, that is exactly what Christ accomplished on the cross. He provided the way for sinners like you and me to be healed of our greatest problem:

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

This is why Christ came. He came to live a perfect life in our place. He came to die so that we might live forever. He came to rise again and show His victory over our greatest problem – the one we could never solve for ourselves. We have hope, joy, and peace even in troubling times, because by His wounds, we have been healed.

No matter what you face this week, you have been healed by Christ’s wounds.

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The Light of Christ {No Matter What Monday}

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My daughter calls out as I start to leave her room: “Don’t forget the closet light, Mom!” This part of her bedtime routine is just as important as the kiss on the forehead. She hates being alone in her room at night, and being alone in the dark would be unbearable.  

As adults, the darkness we fear is different, but no less real. We struggle with doubts, unanswered questions, and anxiety. We lay awake in the middle of the night as frightening scenarios – both real and imagined – run rampant through our brains. We stumble in the dark, feeling along the wall, trying to find a light switch that will chase the fear away. Where can we find answers, resolution, comfort, or hope in our dark moments? 

Over the next few weeks, we will look at prophecies from Isaiah that were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Today we’ll see that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness. 

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2) 

God’s people in the Old Testament walked in darkness for centuries. They awaited the Messiah, a Savior who would rescue them from the darkness of sin and death. They clung to a promise without understanding what it meant or how it would be fulfilled. How could God possibly unravel the mess caused by evil and sin? 

In John 1, we see that Jesus Christ is the answer to life’s darkness. He is the light that those walking in darkness so desperately need. 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. . . The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:5, 9)

The true light is here, breaking through the darkness. In Christ, we have everything we need to battle fear, sin, questions, doubts—even death. The darkness of these struggles cannot overcome His light. 

Jesus gives His blood-bought forgiveness for our sins . . . 

His sustaining strength for our struggles . . . 

and His incomparable comfort for our troubled hearts. 

The light of Christ guarantees that the darkness will never win. 

No matter what you face this week, the light of Christ shines in the darkness. 

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A Reason to Give Thanks {No Matter What Monday}

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When we celebrate Thanksgiving 2020 this week, most of us will have weary hearts and fewer people around our table. Maybe you’re grieving. Maybe you’re anxious. Maybe you’re overwhelmed. Maybe you’re disappointed by interruptions to your holiday plans. Maybe you feel like celebrating but also feel burdened by the suffering in the world around you. 

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving when you don’t feel like giving thanks? 

Despite our feelings, God’s Word remains true. And God’s Word gives us so many reasons to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, just as Paul instructs us in 1 Thessalonians: 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).

This scripture doesn’t say, “Give thanks for all circumstances.” God asks us to give thanks in all circumstances. But when our life is a mess, our future is uncertain, or our hearts are broken, how can we give thanks in those circumstances? We can call to mind, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the unchanging reasons for our thankfulness: God’s salvation. God’s presence. God’s promises. God’s character. 

In times of exhaustion, we have the Lord’s sustaining strength (Isaiah 40:29-31). When we’re under financial pressure, we can trust the Lord’s faithful provision (Philippians 4:19). When we struggle with loneliness, we can cling to the Lord’s everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). When we’re gripped by anxiety, we can give thanks for God’s sovereign care in every moment (Romans 8:28). 

Those who belong to Christ always have a reason to give thanks: the sacrifice of God’s Son for our salvation, the riches of His grace and mercy, and the righteousness of Christ given freely to us. We’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, and nothing in all creation can separate us from His love (Ephesians 1:3, Romans 8:38-39).

Yes, this Thanksgiving will be different, just like this whole year has been. And yet, God has given us an abundance of reasons to give Him thanks and praise. By the power of His Spirit, we can praise Him for who He is and what he has done for us in Christ—even on our most difficult days. 

No matter what you face this week, God has given you a reason to give thanks in all circumstances. 

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Don’t Lose Heart {No Matter What Monday}

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I hate suspense, and it makes me a terrible movie-watcher. I don’t like the stressful feeling of watching through my fingers (yes, I’m covering my eyes) as I await the fate of my beloved main character. 

I handle it a little bit better when I’m watching a kids’ movie with my family. Why? Movies that are rated G usually have happy endings. There might be tension, maybe even a little bit of peril, but I know it’s going to turn out just fine. 

When we face difficulties, danger, or discouragement in this life, we don’t have to watch through our fingers and wonder how it will all turn out. (Is anyone else tempted to watch 2020 this way?!) God’s Word promises us a glorious ending unlike anything Hollywood could imagine. 

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Paul gives us several contrasts between the seen and the unseen. First, we have those things we can see. We see our bodies wasting away. We experience the pain of affliction that definitely doesn’t feel light or momentary. We look around this fallen world and see pain, injustice, suffering, and death. 

By faith, we can take our eyes off what we see and gaze upon what we’ve been promised. We are being renewed day by day – sustained and upheld by our Father as He conforms us to the likeness of His Son. Our suffering is light and momentary compared to the glory that lies ahead of us. And while the trouble we see around us is temporary, these glorious gifts we receive in Christ will last forever. 

Because of Christ, there’s a happy ending to this story. We don’t have to watch anxiously as events unfold, with nothing to cling to but wishful thinking. We have a living hope – Jesus Christ – and He’s guaranteed our glorious future. 

No matter what you face this week, do not lose heart. Glory is coming!

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