Faith Archives - Page 72 of 117

God Holds You With His Unfailing Strength {No Matter What Monday}

July 17, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

A couple of years ago, my son and I joined his classmates at nearby camp for a day of activities. The schedule included hiking, nature studies, and a visit to one of those bizarre ropes-course contraptions that you only find at camp. This one is called “The Screamer.”

One by one, a kid was harnessed in, and the rest of the classmates pulled on a big rope to hoist the victim to what seemed like an irresponsible height. Then the kids on the ground would let go of the rope and the daredevil would go swinging through the air like a giant pendulum until the laws of physics eventually brought him to a stop.

I thought, It’s a good thing this is only for kids.

And then they asked if any of the moms wanted to try.

I never want to pass up an opportunity to make memories with my kids. So I strapped on that harness and up I went. All I could think in the moment before the kids let go of the rope was, “I really hope this harness holds.”

What are you trusting to hold you today as you fly through life? God’s Word says those who belong to Him are held by His righteous right hand.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

(Isaiah 41:10)

His presence is the antidote for our fear. We don’t have to be dismayed, because He is ours, and we are His. Through all the storms and trials of life, He will keep His promise to strengthen us, help us, and uphold us.

He’s got us. He’s not letting go. His righteous right hand will never fail to hold us.

No matter what you face this week, God holds you with His unfailing strength.

The Lord Will Bring Fruit from Your Suffering {No Matter What Monday}

July 10, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

A few summers ago, my kids helped their dad plant a garden. Among the tomato plants and varieties of lettuce (all of which they will not eat), they planted one of their favorites—a strawberry vine.

But here’s the thing about strawberry vines: they don’t produce fruit right away. Nothing in the first season. You might see fruit a year later, during the second season. And when you’re just five years old, waiting more than 20% of your lifetime for a piece of fruit you could buy at the store this afternoon—well, it seems a little crazy.

In James chapter 5, suffering is compared to planting a garden. It takes patience and endurance, and at times it seems fruitless. But the Lord has a purpose.

James 5:10-11: As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

James says to take the Old Testament prophets as an example of patience in suffering. The lives of many of them, when taken at face value, look like dismal failures. Many of them were ridiculed, ostracized, or even killed. And yet, James says we consider them blessed. They had the privilege of suffering while proclaiming God’s Word and foretelling His promised Messiah. In their suffering, they put the Lord’s compassion and mercy on display.

James tells his readers they have already “seen the purpose of the Lord.” God has shown us the certainty of His compassion and mercy in our salvation. We can trust Him to bring beautiful fruit from our patient suffering.

No matter what you face this week, the Lord’s compassion and mercy are at work in your patient suffering.

God’s power and glory will remain forever {No Matter What Monday}

July 3, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I love sunsets. (I love sunrises, too, but I prefer to be asleep when they’re happening.) The glorious colors spread over the horizon, as if God took a handful of paintbrushes and danced across the sky. When I look at a gorgeous sunset, I know two things are true: there is a Creator who makes beauty and the Creator is glorious.

And yet, these verses teach us that God’s glory is even greater than the glory of creation:

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end” (Psalm 102:25-27).

The heavens are the work of His hands, and they are glorious. But one day, He will change them like He’s changing His clothes. The creation we see now will pass away, but the Lord will remain.

So what does this mean for us on an ordinary Monday when we feel overwhelmed by the week ahead?

Created things – sunsets, people, nature, possessions – can be beautiful, glorious blessings in our lives. These same creations sometimes bring us pain and suffering. In either case, they will pass away.

The Lord is the one Who will always remain. His power and glory will never fade. Those gorgeous sunsets can remind us of this truth: we are loved by a glorious Creator who will never change. His years have no end.

No matter what you face this week, God’s power and glory will remain forever.

This devotional originally appeared on this blog in September 2016.

You Can Do Hard Things {No Matter What Monday}

June 26, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

The year was 1983. I sat in Mrs. Miller’s first grade classroom, facing an overwhelming task. With little six-year-old fingers, I painstakingly cut out 72 construction paper candles to assemble a birthday cake for President Reagan. It’s the first difficult assignment I remember having as a child, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Now we face grown-up challenges, don’t we? We struggle with our relationships, our work, our health, our finances, and our private wrestling with temptation, unbelief, fear, and doubt. God often gives us difficult assignments as we live as lights for Him in a world filled with sin, brokenness, and pain. But He does not leave us on our own.

In Philippians 4, Paul recalled hardships he faced as he carried out his assignment from the Lord. He was hungry and needy, and he suffered in humiliating circumstances. And yet, he found the secret to being content in these struggles. He wrote, “I can do all things through [the Lord] who strengthens me.”

You can do hard things. You can complete the difficult tasks God gives you. You can walk through a challenging relationship, career, illness, financial situation, or temptation and emerge on the other side looking more like Jesus.

Not because you’re amazing, but because your Heavenly Father is.

Not because you’re strong, but because He gives you strength.

Not because you look inside yourself and find the resources you need, but because the Spirit of God lives inside you.

You can do hard things because the Lord is strong and mighty, and He is with you in your struggles.

No matter what you face this week, you can do everything the Lord asks of you because of His strength.