Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season – Part One {Guest post for the enCourage blog}

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Recently I shared the first in a three-part series on the enCourage blog, a blog for the women’s ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Here’s a preview . . .

Have you ever found yourself in a winter season of suffering, when your world feels dark and cold? My winter season started 14 years ago when I found a lump in my breast. The lump led to tests, which led to a biopsy, which led to a phone call on the day before my 34th birthday.

The doctor said the biopsy revealed a rare and aggressive cancer in the lining of my blood vessels called angiosarcoma. A quick internet search informed me that I was statistically unlikely to live to see my three young children reach adolescence.

I started a treatment plan of high doses of chemotherapy, covered by the prayers of thousands of people and supported by the most amazing community of family and friends. After two rounds of chemo, my situation got even worse. My platelets were dangerously low from the chemo, and the only way for me to continue treatment was to start a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, 700 miles from my home in Arkansas.

I thought the angiosarcoma diagnosis was devastating, but this news was even worse. I didn’t know if I’d live long enough for my one-year-old daughter to remember me. I didn’t want to spend time away from my family, receiving treatment in Houston for several weeks. But I didn’t have any other options.

I think this experience is why Habakkuk is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Habakkuk had a similar experience of suffering that kept getting worse. And yet, at the end of this short book, Habakkuk proclaims his trust in the Lord. As we look at Habakkuk’s prayer in chapter 3, we find a beautiful example of how to look for God’s gifts, even in the midst of suffering.

You can read the rest of the article here at enCourage. I hope it encourages you if you’re in a winter season today.

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Nothing to Do But Pray {Guest post for enCourage}

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Last week I shared an article on the enCourage blog, a blog for the women’s ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Here’s a preview . . .

It was around 4:45 a.m. when I gave up on sleep, got out of bed, and reached for my phone. I saw a notification from our family’s tracking app—my oldest son’s phone was out of battery as of 3 a.m., and I knew what that meant. I could picture my sleep-deprived college student in his apartment, lying across his bed, fully clothed, with all the lights on. He had fallen asleep without meaning to, which meant his phone wasn’t charging and his alarm wouldn’t wake him in time for class.

My brain went into panic mode. It was near the end of the semester, so he could miss an important quiz or test. Within seconds, my anxiety convinced me that his GPA and career goals would be ruined by one morning of oversleeping. And yet, I knew I was powerless to do anything to wake up my son. I was left with a last resort that should have been my first response: I prayed.

Praying for our children is a gift from the Lord, whether our children are babies in our arms or adult children living hundreds of miles away. 

You can read the rest of the article here at enCourage. I hope it encourages you as you bring your children and others before the Lord in prayer.

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An Update Regarding Monday Devotionals

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I can still remember the moment in February 2016 when I had an idea. Back when I was diagnosed with cancer, the phone call came on a Monday. I knew how quickly a week could change, but God’s promises remain the same. So I decided to write a weekly devotional every Monday about an aspect of God’s character that would be true, no matter what the week might bring. 

At first it was a way to provide structure and accountability for my writing life. If I told people I was going to post every Monday, I had to stick with it. And then a handful of people started reading every week, including my grandmother, who was in assisted living in another state. I made a commitment to myself to keep writing the devotionals for her, knowing she looked forward to the email she got from me each Monday morning. 

By the time my grandma went to be with the Lord in August 2020, there were more of you reading these Monday devotionals, and it’s been an honor to be welcomed into your inbox or your social media feed each week. I’ve wrestled with this decision for years. But after almost 8 years of “No Matter What Monday,” I think it’s time to bring this season to an end. 

I’m still writing, but I’m taking some time to consider what that looks like for me in this new season. I’d be honored if you stay subscribed here so I can keep you posted as new projects come along. There is an archive of Monday devotionals on my website – you can find those by clicking here. Also, if you haven’t downloaded my free ebook of 21 devotionals (or if it’s been awhile!), you can find it on my website here. 

Thank you again for reading my words each Monday. It has been a blessing to me to write them for you, and I hope the Lord has been glorified by each one. 

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Jesus Christ Reigns

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The election was still two weeks away, but the line snaked around the building as I stood with other early voters, wearing masks and spaced six feet apart. While a pandemic raged around us, we showed up and waited as long as it took to cast our vote in the 2020 election. We did so because we believed that, especially in times of difficulty, it matters who’s in charge.

This month we’ve been looking at Old Testament prophesies that were fulfilled by Christ. He is the light in the darkness and the suffering Savior. The Old Testament prophets also spoke of the Messiah as the king who would reign on the throne of David forever. This king would be different from the line of kings that followed King David, many of whom were wicked, foolish leaders. Isaiah prophesied about this Messiah-King:

“Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore . . .” (Isaiah 9:7)

This is the wonder of Christmas: the King of all creation humbled Himself to take on flesh, dwell with us, and suffer for His people. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection demonstrated His sovereignty over this world and His sound defeat of His enemies. Now Christ the King is exalted by the Father and seated in glory at the Father’s right hand (Ephesians 2:20-21, Philippians 2:8-9).

In Revelation 19:16, we find the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy:

“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

As we look at the chaos and challenges around us, we don’t have to wonder who’s ultimately in charge. Our good and faithful King, our Savior Jesus Christ, reigns now and forever.

This is one of the wonders of Christmas: the infant about whom we sing “Away in a Manger” is also the Savior about whom we sing, “Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.” As we celebrate, our hope is in the righteous, just, eternal kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ reigns as the righteous King of kings and Lord of lords. Merry Christmas, friends!

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