Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Your Portion Forever

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When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, I experienced loss. I was only 34, but I lost my identity as a healthy person. I lost my plans for the next several months as my calendar was wiped clean and replaced with chemo treatments in another state. I lost my confidence in my future expectations about seeing my kids grow up and growing old with my husband. 

I know you’ve dealt with loss, too. Loss brings grief because good things have been taken away. 

The author of Lamentations also experienced loss. He lost his home—the Promised Land that God gave to His people to be their inheritance (Joshua 14:1). The people of Judah were taken away from the land God had given them, and the city of Jerusalem fell to Babylon and was destroyed. 

Over the past week weeks, we’ve seen how the author of Lamentations responded to this suffering by remembering God’s never-ending mercies and great faithfulness. In the next verse, he declared another reason for his hope: 

“‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”(Lamentations 3:24) 

When he said the Lord is his portion, he was referring to a share of an inheritance, like the land that was portioned between the tribes of Israel in the Promised Land. Worldly gifts like land, relationships, health, and money can be taken away, but our inheritance in the Lord is eternal (Ephesians 1:11-14, 1 Peter 1:4). Even when we suffer loss, the Lord is our portion. 

We find this idea echoed in two of my favorite verses from the Psalms: 

“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:5-6) 

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

This Valentine’s Day, you may be celebrating with loved ones, or you may be grieving unrealized dreams or heart-breaking loss. Either way, you can find your hope in this: those who believe in Christ have the most spectacular inheritance in the Lord. He has promised to be your portion forever. 

No matter what you face this week, place your hope in the Lord and your inheritance in Him. 

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God’s Great Faithfulness

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I’ve never been a morning person. I used to be a night owl, but I’m not that anymore either. I’m basically just good for a few hours in the middle of the day. 🙂 But since the middle of the day isn’t really enough, I’m working on being a morning person. Sometimes the early mornings feel quiet, peaceful, and filled with the promise of a great day. Sometimes the early mornings feel heavy with the burdens of the day’s challenges or the trials loved ones are enduring. 

Lately I’ve been reading Lamentations 3:21-24 each morning. These verses help me shift my perspective from overwhelm and discouragement to confidence and hope. Last week we looked at Lamentations 3:21-22, and today we’ll focus on the next verse. (I’ve included last week’s verses here for context.) 

 “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21-23)

When I feel overwhelmed by what my day holds, it comforts me to know that in every moment, God’s steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness are being poured out on me. He sees me. He knows me. He’s in control. And His character is true every. single. day. 

I mentally run through the burdens on my mind and ask, “Is God faithful in this?” The answer is always yes. 

Way too many tasks on my to-do list. God is faithful. 

Parenting struggles. God is faithful. 

Pandemic life hassles. God is faithful. 

Challenging relationships. God is faithful. 

Financial concerns. God is faithful. 

Loved ones battling health problems. God is faithful. 

A chaotic and frightening world. God is faithful. 

What’s weighing on you today, friend? Whatever you’re facing, God is faithful. Every promise in His Word is true. His mercies are new this morning, and they’ll be new again tomorrow morning and all the days after that. His steadfast love for us is sufficient to carry us through any hardship. Our burdens may feel heavy, but His great faithfulness exceeds them all.

No matter what you face this week, God is faithful in every moment of every day. 

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Living Water {First 5}

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Today I have the privilege of sharing a teaching for the First 5 app as we walk through our current study, “Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament.” Here’s a preview . . .

Today’s Reading: Exodus 17; Numbers 20

Numbers 20:11 (ESV) “And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.”

Have you ever gotten one of those persistent tickles in your throat? You try to discreetly cough, but that makes it worse, and now people are staring. You try to ignore it and hope it disappears. It’s hard to think of anything else but what you need: a drink of water.

In today’s passages, the Israelites faced something much worse than a prickly throat. On both occasions, they were camping in a desert with no water. (Exodus 17:1; Numbers 20:2) They were thirsty and knew if they didn’t find a source of water they would die. (Exodus 17:3; Numbers 20:4)

Throughout their wilderness journey, the Israelites repeatedly displayed grumbling, distrustful hearts. Rather than crying out to God for His help, they cried out against Moses with bitter complaints and angry accusations. (Exodus 17:2-3; Numbers 20:3-5) Their rebellion deserved punishment, but instead, God graciously provided the water they needed to live and thrive.

You can read the entire teaching here, or download the app and join us through the rest of our study!

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God’s Never-Ending Mercies

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Lately I’ve really wished I could talk to my grandparents. They’re with the Lord now, but I would love to hear their perspective on what’s happening in our world. The current global turmoil and uncertainty are unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime, and I wonder if my grandparents would offer words of comfort or wisdom from their experience during difficult times like the Great Depression and World War II. 

Even though I miss hearing my grandparents’ wisdom, I do have God’s Word. For the next few weeks, we’ll be encouraged by verses from Lamentations 3. The author of Lamentations (probably Jeremiah) lived through a time even more tumultuous than our own. His homeland of Judah had been invaded and conquered, his people had been taken into exile, and his place of worship had been destroyed. 

In the midst of his extended lament to the Lord, we find these words of hope: 

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end . . .” (Lamentations 3:21-22) 

The author of Lamentations reminded himself of the truth about God, and it filled him with hope even when his circumstances seemed hopeless. His future was uncertain, but he found comfort knowing that God’s steadfast love and mercy would never end. 

When our troubles seem never-ending and our future is uncertain, we still have hope. There’s something that will last even longer than this pandemic: the steadfast love and mercy of God. 

Sometimes I try to imagine what will happen in our world next week or next month or next year, and I grow anxious. I struggle with this, because I want to be prepared and plan for every possibility. But God is asking me to trust Him for today and not worry about tomorrow. All our tomorrows are resting securely in His hands. 

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we know our faithful God will be with us. We can face the uncertainty in our world with confidence that our troubles will never outlast God’s steadfast love and mercy. 

No matter what you face this week, God’s mercies will never come to an end. 

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