Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Grace Has Appeared {No Matter What Monday}

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Do you have days when you wonder if God exists? Even though Christ grabbed hold of me decades ago, even though I’m completely convinced of the truth of His Word, even though I’ve seen evidence of His Spirit at work in me . . . I still doubt. I still struggle to understand the nuances of the Christian faith. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to believe if I could see God face to face. Wouldn’t it be nice if some of these abstract concepts of our faith were a little more concrete?

Throughout the Old Testament, God gave His people visible, tangible reminders of His presence with them. Noah’s rainbow. The burning bush that didn’t burn up. Manna falling from the sky. The tabernacle. But His people still waited for God’s plan of salvation to be fully revealed.

And then, God sent a visible picture of His love. God the Son became man and walked among us. He was the embodiment of the grace of God.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” (Titus 2:11)

The baby in the manger is the grace of God. The man who fed thousands, healed blind men, raised the dead, and proclaimed God’s Kingdom is the grace of God. The Lamb of God who suffered and died on the cross and rose again—our Savior is the grace of God, a gift given to show God’s people His plan for redeeming the mess of sin.

God’s grace is no longer vague, abstract, or mysterious. We see His grace clearly in the person and life of Jesus. The gift of salvation given to us through a baby in a manger strengthens us to face life’s uncertainties.

No matter what you face this week, in Christ, the grace of God has appeared.

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Nothing Can Separate You {No Matter What Monday}

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A few weeks ago, I asked my daughter what she learned at Bible study as we made our way through the dark parking lot to our car. Her answer surprised me: “We learned how God kept parting all the water for the Israelites.”

If you spent much time in Sunday school as a kid, you probably saw the parting of the Red Sea on a felt board at some point. As the Egyptian army with their horses and chariots came barreling after them, the recently-freed Israelites huddled on the shore of the sea, waiting to see what God would do.

Forty years later, those who had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground had died in the wilderness. The next generation stood on the banks of the Jordan River as it rushed past them at floodstage. On the other side lay the long-awaited Promised Land. Once again, God proved that nothing can separate His children from His unfailing love, His perfect plans, and His gracious salvation. (Check out Joshua 3 to read more.)

The God who won’t let anything stand in the way of showing His love to His children is still the same today:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

In these verses, Paul gives us a comprehensive list of all the circumstances and powers that can’t separate us from God’s love. And in case he missed anything, he adds these powerful words: “nor anything else in all creation.” That pretty much covers it, wouldn’t you say?

Do you ever feel like a roaring river or a foreboding sea is keeping you from what God has promised? The hard circumstances we face can separate us from comfort, from happiness, from friends – maybe even separate us by death from someone we love and miss. But no matter how hard things get, our suffering will never be able to separate us from God’s love for us in Christ.

No matter what you face this week, nothing in all creation can separate you from God’s love in Christ Jesus.

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More Than Conquerors {No Matter What Monday}

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I hate to lose. Whether it’s Candyland with a preschooler or the biggest college football game of the season, I want to feel the thrill of victory. (Although I’ll admit, I’ve stacked the deck to let a 4-year-old win Candyland before just out of desperation for the game to end. Anyone else??)

Even as a child, I struggled with losing. My parents taught me to say to the winner, “Congratulations. Maybe I’ll win next time.” The sentiment is not heart-felt, and I often spit out those words through pouting lips with a touch of resentment. Maybe that’s why, even at the age of 41, I haven’t deviated from the script. I still mutter these words when my kids beat me at Uno.

We’ve been looking at the end of Romans 8 the last few weeks and learning that God is for us, God provides for us, and God’s verdict is sure. Today we see that God has made us conquerors through Jesus Christ:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

I’ll be honest, most days I don’t feel like a conqueror. I feel defeated, discouraged, and distracted. I’m barely hanging on sometimes. But even when my feelings don’t match up, God’s Word says this is true: God has given me the victory in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:57).

The victory doesn’t depend on me—Christ secured it when He rose from the grave. Now anything that threatens me has been defeated by my Savior. Even death has been swallowed up in victory and lost its sting (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). We still have trouble, but Jesus Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33).

And because of Christ’s love, we are included in His victory as if we are the conquerors. We can say with Paul, “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Christ’s victory over all, given to you because of His love for you, gives us courage when we think we can’t go on. Your circumstances may seem uncertain, daunting, or even impossible, but God has made you a conqueror. He knows how He will bring you through the battle to victory.

No matter what you face this week, Christ’s love makes you a conqueror.

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God’s Verdict is Secure {No Matter What Monday}

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They are the words every child swears they will never say to their kids, and they are the words most parents have said to their child: “Because I said so.”

When a parent says, “Because I said so,” those words are meant to end the argument. Why? Because the parent has the authority. The parent’s words have power. They ultimately win out over the protests and questions of the child. When spoken in love, these words remind children that their parents care for them, and the children can trust their parents to do what’s best for them.

God also says, “Because I said so.” If you are in Christ, you are forgiven and secure—because God said so. God has justified you because of Christ’s death and resurrection, and no one can argue with His decision.

“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:33-34)

Paul just finished reminding us in the previous verses that God is for us and has provided His Son as a sacrifice to redeem us. Now he has us in a courtroom. Charges are being brought by an accuser. A judge will decide whether to condemn or acquit.

Your accuser brings a charge against you to the Judge’s bench. Maybe there’s a crowd forming, each person walking down the courtroom aisle with a charge in their hand, as you sit at the defendant’s table. But when your accusers get closer, they see someone sitting next to the judge. Jesus is there, showing His nail-pierced hands and feet.

God has already declared you righteous because of Jesus’s righteousness. The charges evaporate in your accuser’s hand. Not even Satan himself can bring a charge against you. You’ve been declared righteous—you’ve been justified—and when God said, “Because I said so,” no one gets to argue further.

Christ Jesus died for you. He was raised for you. He sits at the Father’s right hand, interceding for you as your advocate. You’re not sinless, and there will be consequences for your choices. But there won’t be condemnation. Your verdict is secure, because the sentence for your sin has already been served by your Savior.

No matter what you face this week, God’s verdict is secure.

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