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Everlasting Love {No Matter What Monday}

April 24, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

A few years ago, I watched my wedding video with my daughter. She loved seeing my dress and veil, and she was riveted by all the pre-ceremony footage of my bridesmaids and mom bustling around me, helping me with my makeup and carrying my dress’s train. At one point, she turned to me and asked, “Is Daddy going to be in this video?”

God’s Word tells us that the human institution of marriage points to something greater—the love Jesus Christ has for His bride, the church. But often, our view of Christ’s love for us is marred by our experience with marriage: the sting of unfulfilled longings in singleness, the pain of broken promises in divorce, the end of marriage in death, or the unmet expectations in intact marriages.

God’s love is not like human love. I want my young, romantically-inclined daughter to understand that there is One who has loved her perfectly and will never stop. In Jeremiah 31:3b, the Lord says:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Yes, my daughter’s daddy eventually made an appearance in our wedding video. But more importantly, her Heavenly Father is present with her, even in her most unlovable moments, pouring out His never-ending love and continuing faithfulness.

There is a love that lasts forever. The good news of the gospel is that there’s nothing you can do to earn this love and nothing you can do to lose it. Christ gave His life to make you His bride. His love is freely and faithfully given to you.

No matter what you face this week, God loves you with an everlasting love.

Christ Has Overcome the World {No Matter What Monday}

April 17, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

On November 11, 1918, representatives of France, Germany, and Great Britain met in a railroad station in France to sign an armistice agreement and end the fighting in “the war to end all wars.” They signed the agreement at 5:00 a.m. with the stipulation that the fighting would end six hours later – at 11:00 a.m..

I wonder why they didn’t stop fighting immediately. I suppose in those days, it took time for word to spread throughout the Western Front. At 5:00 a.m., everyone knew Germany had been defeated by the Allies and celebrations started around the world. But for the soldiers in the field, the war wasn’t over. There were thousands of casualties that day as the fighting continued.

We are living in a time similar to those six hours in 1918. When Jesus walked out of the grave, God declared victory over sin, evil, and death. Satan knows he’s been defeated, but he’s not ready to stop fighting. We’re caught in the crossfire—living in the tension between the “already” and the “not yet” of God’s victory.

We say, “Where, O death, is your sting?” but still weep at the graveside of those we love. We read that the power of sin over us has been broken, and yet we confess with the apostle Paul that we keep on sinning (Romans 7:15-8:2).

Jesus knew we would suffer as the battle continues to rage, and so He told His disciples:

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

We have peace because our hope isn’t in our own power to triumph. We trust in the One who has already conquered. Through our trials and our struggles, we can have confidence in this: God wins.

Take heart, friends. No matter what you face this week, Christ has overcome the world.

Be Still {No Matter What Monday}

April 3, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I’ve had some stressful driving experiences, but nothing comes close to the time I was lost in Brooklyn, New York, during rush hour on a Friday afternoon. I took the exit into Brooklyn and needed to cross several lanes in a short distance to make a left turn and stay on my predetermined route. (This was in ancient times, before GPS and phones with map apps!)

But it was New York, not Arkansas. Not even the driver with a front license plate identifying him as a priest would let me pull in front of him. I didn’t make it to the left turn lane, and I was lost. My surroundings terrified me, and I didn’t know how to find my way to safety. All I had was a paper map, panicked tears, and desperate prayers.

Sometimes life feels similar to those jam-packed streets of Brooklyn. We’re confused and overwhelmed as we struggle to find our way . But Psalm 46 tells us we have a refuge in times of fear:

“‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:10-11)

When I hear the words “be still,” I’m reminded of the relief that washed over me as I parked in front of my friend’s Brooklyn apartment. Her knowledge of the city protected me from panic and fear as I blissfully followed her around the city. Her presence was a refuge in an environment that felt scary when I was alone.

When life feels chaotic and confusing, I can be still. I know the One who knows all things. He is God—I am not. He is with me, and He is my fortress. He will show me the way.

Whatever you face this week, you can be still and trust the One who knows the way.

Our Suffering has a Glorious End {No Matter What Monday}

February 27, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Why do days filled with mundane tasks tick by so slowly, and vacation days fly by so fast? January and February feel like they will never end, and June just goes zipping by. Happy times seem like minutes compared to seasons of suffering that seem endless.

And yet, today’s verse takes a different view of time. In God’s timeline, our time of suffering slips by quickly, and our time of glory stretches without end.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (I Peter 5:10)

Peter says, “After you have suffered a little while . . .” Does this make you want to roll your eyes?! Or maybe scream at Peter that he has no idea what he’s talking about? Our suffering doesn’t feel temporary!

Peter understood that suffering sometimes seems endless, but he also understood the truth about the “God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ.” Here, Peter highlights the contrast between our temporary suffering and our eternal glory in Christ. Our present trials are like a gnat on the Mt. Everest of eternity with Christ.

As the verse promises, “God will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” The Lord will bring this to an end—the outcome doesn’t depend on us. It’s a gift of His grace in Christ. He will restore us. He will confirm our position as His children. He will strengthen us by His mercy. He will establish us as heirs of His promises.

One of God’s purposes in our suffering is to point us to its glorious end. One day, He will turn evil on its head and our joy will be sweeter because of our pain. As Tim Keller says, “The evil that hurts us now will be the eventual servant of our joy and glory eternally.”

No matter what we face this week, there will be a glorious end to our suffering.

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