Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Jesus Christ conquered death {No Matter What Monday}

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I’ll never forget the look of joy on his little three-year-old face when he heard the news. My son Christopher was eating breakfast at the kitchen table when he started asking questions about Jesus. He’d heard repeatedly that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins. But apparently we failed to mention one crucial piece of information—Jesus didn’t stay dead. When I mentioned that Jesus rose from the dead, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, “Jesus is ALIVE?!?” He clapped his hands exuberantly and shouted, “Yaaaaaay!” 

It was such a joy to witness the moment my son first learned the good news of the resurrection. He realized for the first time that death didn’t win. Jesus isn’t still in the grave. He is risen! 

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:20 and 55, NIV)

Friend, this is good news: Jesus is alive! He isn’t just a suffering Savior who died in your place but a reigning King who conquered the power of death. He rose victorious over the ultimate enemy. We read in Revelation 1:18 that Jesus holds the keys to death and hades. Death has no power over Him.

Our risen Savior is the firstfruits of the resurrection. “Firstfruits” implies that there are more resurrection fruits to come! When He stepped out of the grave, He made a way for us to have new life in Him now and eternal life with Him forever. Death has no power over Him, and it also has no power over those of us who are in Christ. 

This is another one of the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection that we’ve been studying this month. Jesus Christ has paid our debt, given us His perfect record, forgiven our sin, and conquered death for us. 

Even though we feel the pain of death here temporarily, we can look at the empty grave of Christ and say with Paul, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Jesus Christ took the sting of death for us, so we wait eagerly for the day when we feel it no more. 

No matter what you face this week, the risen Christ conquered death for you. 

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Your Waiting Will Not Last Forever {No Matter What Monday}

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Do you remember what it was like to have out-of-town visitors arriving in the days before cell phones? When I was a kid, I loved the days when our grandparents were coming to town. We knew how far they were driving and could ballpark a estimated arrival time, but we couldn’t be certain. All day we’d watch with eager anticipation for our loved ones, never knowing when the doorbell would end our waiting.

We’ve been talking about waiting for the past couple of weeks. We have courage because it’s the Lord we are waiting for. We remember that God is good to us while we wait. And today let’s find comfort in the promise that our waiting will not last forever. Whether we receive the desires of our hearts here or in heaven, there will be a glorious day when all our waiting will end.

“It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited on him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’” (Isaiah 25:9)

One day, we will behold our God and realize that all we need is Him. Can you imagine seeing the Lord and wishing you’d gotten that new car you’d always dreamed of? Everything else we’ve been waiting for will flee from our thoughts as we see the glory of God and enjoy His presence forever.

This line from a song by Sandra McCracken is one of my favorite descriptions of that day: “He has done great things, we will say together, we will feast and weep no more.”

Can you picture all of God’s people together, finally seeing the full goodness and beauty of our Lord and Savior, giving Him praise for all the great things He has done? Can you see the eyes that will never again cry sorrowful tears? On that day, we will have all we have ever waited for in Christ.

No matter what you face this week, your waiting will not last forever.

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God Made You His Child and Heir {No Matter What Monday}

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One night before bedtime, my daughter was stalling in one of my favorite ways—by showering me with compliments from head to toe. As she moved from my hair to my clothes, she mentioned my wedding ring with the “fake diamond in it.” I laughed and corrected her, “No, Sweetheart, that’s actually a real diamond.” Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Mom!” she exclaimed. “You’re rich! You should take that to someone to sell it and buy me an American Girl doll!”

Sometimes I feel the same way when I see the riches of God in display in His Word. The riches of the Father’s mercy (Ephesians 2:4). The riches left by the Son when He took on flesh (2 Corinthians 8:9). The Holy Spirit richly poured out through salvation in Christ (Titus 3:5-6).

My jaw drops and my eyes widen when I think that the One who has everything would choose to make me His child and provide me with an eternal inheritance. My Savior sacrificed it all to redeem me and purchased my salvation with His blood.

Last week we saw in Galatians 4:4-6 that God has given us the privilege of calling Him our Father. In the next verse, Paul tells us even more about our status as children of God:

“So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:7).

Because God made us His children by His grace, we are promised an inheritance that is imperishable and kept for us in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4). Romans 8:17 tells us that we are co-heirs with Christ, and we can only imagine what His inheritance must be like!

God’s abundant provision for us isn’t just the riches of eternal life with Him. He also gives what we need each day. In Matthew 7, we read that just as earthly parents give their children what they need, our heavenly Father will do the same for us. There’s nothing we need that He doesn’t have. He’s rich, remember? He will not withhold any good thing from us (Psalm 84:11).

No matter what you face this week, God has made you an heir to the riches of His grace.

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Your Shepherd Will Give You What You Need {No Matter What Monday}

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The clock read 12:30 a.m. as I tried to calm my daughter’s cries. Sleeplessness had turned into panic as she realized how exhaustion would affect her the next day. I stroked her hair and struggled to believe my own words: “Sweetheart, you can trust God to give you the rest you need to face each day.”

One of the most well-known verses in the Bible tells us that God will supply everything we need. But have these familiar words taken root in our hearts? I know this is an area where my trust still needs to grow.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)

Step back and imagine you are an ancient Israelite, worshipping the Lord with your family, hearing this for the first time. I think it would make me stop and think, because this verse makes some shocking claims!

First of all, David says the Lord is our Shepherd. He’s not only Creator and King ruling over all things. He isn’t just a strong Rock or Shelter we can run to for protection. He is all of these things, but He is also our Shepherd: He is with us, knows us personally, carries us, and provides for us.

And because our Shepherd is also the Creator of the universe and the powerful King of kings, we shall not want. Let that soak in. We will not ever go without anything we need.

I’ll be the first to admit this doesn’t always feel true. But we see throughout God’s Word that He provides for His children. He gave His most precious gift to provide for our greatest need: His only Son sacrificed for our salvation. As Romans 8:32 says, we know that in addition to Christ, He will give us everything else we need.

My Shepherd may not give me everything I want, but He gives me everything I need. As I learn to find my greatest delight in Him and in His gifts, I shall not want.

No matter what you face this week, your Shepherd will give you all that you need.

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