Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

The Lord is Your Light and Your Salvation {No Matter What Monday}

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If you’ve read the Bible for more than about 10 minutes, you’ve probably come across the idea that those who belong to the Lord have no reason to fear. Do not fear, do not be anxious, do not be afraid . . . these phrases are all over the Scriptures. 

 

If the Lord repeated this idea so often, it must be important. But at the same time, it seems so impractical. The world is a scary place. It’s filled with uncertainty and suffering and trouble, and sometimes it seems to be getting worse every day.

 

How can we possibly live without fear? 

 

Psalm 27:1 offers an answer to that question: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

 

The Lord is our light. When all feels dark, the Lord’s light shines even brighter. Micah 7:8 says, “When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” Isaiah 60:20 refers to the everlasting light of the Lord. Our Heavenly Father promises to always shine His unfailing light into our darkest places. 

 

The Lord is our salvation. Colossians 1:13-14 tells us He’s delivered us from the dominion of darkness, brought us into the kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ, and given us redemption and forgiveness. 

 

I doubt I will completely conquer the temptation to fear this side of heaven. But remembering that the Lord is my light and salvation helps me to face a frightening world with less fear and more confidence in the Lord’s promises. 

 

No matter what you face this week, the Lord is your light and your salvation—you have no reason to fear! 

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God is With You {No Matter What Monday}

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A few weeks ago, I woke to hear the loud rumbling of thunder. I knew what would happen next. Sure enough, a few minutes later the outline of a little girl darkened our bedroom doorway.

 

My daughter was scared. She didn’t want to be alone. Her dolls and stuffed animals couldn’t provide the comfort she needed. She sought comfort in the presence of those who knew what she needed and love her.

 

I’m trying to teach my daughter to turn to the Lord when she’s afraid—and not just so she’ll start sleeping in her own bed through a thunderstorm. I love comforting her when I can, but I know there will be times when life is hard and I’m not just down the hallway. I want her to learn that there is One who loves her even more than I do. Her Heavenly Father is always with her.

 

Psalm 139:7-10 says: Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

 

God is present everywhere we go. He is always with us, and He is always leading and holding us. He cares about every detail of our life, every moment of our struggles. Everywhere we go, He is there. Every decision we wrestle with, He will lead us. Every storm we endure, He will hold us.

 

No matter what you face this week, God is with you. 

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Our Help Comes from the Maker of Heaven and Earth {No Matter What Monday}

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What in God’s creation takes your breath away? Mountains rising high? The vast expanse of the ocean? The intricate knitting together of a newborn baby? The colors of a sunset radiating through the clouds?

 

Everywhere around us, God is giving us a glimpse of His power, goodness and might.

 

What in your life causes you to worry? Your job? Kids? Future? Health? Finances? For me, the list includes all of those and a few more. When the stresses of life start to overwhelm me, I think about these words from Psalm 121:

 

“I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

 

The God who raised those mountains from the ground? He’s planned my future.

 

The Lord who holds the ocean depths in the palm of His hand? He loves my children.

 

My Father who knit me together in my mother’s womb? Every cell in my body answers to Him.

 

When you cry out to the Lord for help, you are depending on the One created the universe and upholds it by His will. Let the wonders of His creation remind you of His power and might at work in your life and in your circumstances.

 

No matter what you face this week, your help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth.

 

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God Will Renew our Strength {No Matter What Monday}

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is 40.31

It’s one of those times of the year. The end of the school year ranks high on my list of busy times of year, right up there with Christmas and back-to-school. I feel like there’s a runaway train barreling down the tracks toward the last day of school, and I’m hanging onto the back for dear life. I’ve got two hands gripping the back of the train and both feet flying up in the air behind me, just hoping we can make it to the end of the track without some unknown danger around the corner knocking me loose from this roaring engine.

 

In other words, I’m overwhelmed and exhausted. Anyone else?

 

Maybe you’ve got little ones who wear you out each day by 8:30 a.m. and you wonder how soon is too soon to start texting your husband to ask when he’ll be home.

 

Maybe you’re caring for an aging parent or pouring yourself out all day into a demanding job, and then heading home to face another long list of responsibilities.

 

Maybe your exhaustion stems from an ongoing struggle to parent a challenging child, cope with illness, or grieve a loss.

 

On weary days, I love this promise from Isaiah 40:30-31: “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

 

Isaiah gets me. He knows we all have those tired days – even the young ones get worn out, he says.

 

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. The Lord’s strength is a sufficient, sustaining, satisfying strength. Rather than holding on for dear life, I can fly through these challenges like as soaring eagle because I’m sustained by the Lord.

 

No matter what we face this week, the Lord can be trusted to renew our strength as we rest in Him.

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