faith Archives - Page 8 of 29

Count on God’s Unchanging Character {No Matter What Monday}

March 6, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

My husband opened the front door to see two small boys holding a shoebox of rocks. They confidently made their sales pitch: rocks for sale, five cents each. Knowing my tendency to buy everything neighborhood kids are selling, my husband asked them, “Have you successfully sold your rocks here before?” Yes, they answered. My husband knew he would soon be the owner of a few new rocks.

Those young rock salesmen targeted our house, hoping to make a sale as they had in the past. They expected our willingness to pay a nickel for a rock from their yard to be the same as it had been the week before.

As God’s children, we get to expect the same from Him. We can put our confidence in His consistent character. God’s Word teaches us that He never changes.

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)

He loves you today just as much as the day His Son died on the cross for you. He demonstrates the same faithfulness now as when He carried you through a difficult time. You can rest securely in His arms, because He won’t be different next year or ten years from now or a thousand years from now. The Lord never changes. When you pin your hopes on Him, you’re not throwing darts at a moving target and hoping one sticks. You’re clinging to a steadfast Rock that stands firm through the ages.

No matter what you face this week, you can count on God’s unchanging character.

Our Suffering Increases Our Reliance on Him {No Matter What Monday}

February 13, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

My grandpa loved to tell the story of letting my dad drive a tractor when he was a young child. My dad sat on his dad’s lap with his small hands on the steering wheel as they drove over smooth ground. But when they hit a rough patch of bumpy road and the steering wheel bounced erratically, he would throw his hands in the air and yell, “Take it, Dad!”

In a similar way, our suffering causes us to cry out to our Heavenly Father for help. When life is smooth, we are often lulled into thinking we can handle things on our own. Then the rocky patches come and we have no choice but to throw up our hands and plead with Him to pull us through.

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

In these verses, Paul is telling the Corinthians about his severe suffering—trials so severe that Paul and his companions hoped death would come quickly. But Paul sees God’s purpose in the pain: “to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

We cherish our self-sufficiency, don’t we? It’s hard to admit our weakness and ask for help. But when our suffering pushes us to deeper reliance on the Lord, we find He is there, gripping the wheel, guiding us through the hard times. Our greater reliance on Him is a gift He gives us by His grace.

No matter what you face this week, God will use your suffering to grow your reliance on Him.

P.S. This week marks the one-year anniversary of these “No Matter What Monday” devotionals. You can read all 52 devotionals on my website and subscribe to receive the next 52 delivered straight to your inbox. Thanks for reading!

Our Suffering Advances the Gospel {No Matter What Monday}

February 6, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Have you ever wondered if there was a purpose to your pain? Knowing there’s a purpose behind our difficult circumstances doesn’t take away the sting of suffering, but it can give us a glimmer of encouragement and help us persevere.

This month, we’re looking at God’s purpose in suffering. Our goal isn’t to wrap up suffering in a neat package with a bow. There’s nothing pretty about pain. But in God’s kind sovereignty, He brings beauty from brokenness as He weaves our trials into the tapestry of His purposes.

In Philippians, Paul addresses friends who were upset about his imprisonment. These friends feared Paul’s imprisonment would end his travel and preaching. They may have worried that the entire Christian movement would fizzle out and die. But Paul reassured them that the gospel continued to go forth:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

Your suffering may look differently from Paul’s, but God will use it to advance the gospel. Maybe your suffering is private. No one else even knows. But as you grow in dependence on the Lord, you’re advancing the gospel in your own heart. If your suffering is known by your family or a small circle of friends, they can watch you run to the Lord with your pain and be encouraged to trust Him more.

Whether you’re encouraging thousands with your story or quietly walking in obedience each day, rest assured that in God’s economy, no suffering is wasted. Your trials are advancing the good news of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace.

No matter what we face this week, our suffering advances the gospel.

When You Face An Impossible Situation {guest post on (in)courage.me}

December 10, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

It was one week before Christmas 2010. I sat in my oncologist’s office at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, 600 miles from my home in Arkansas, clutching my husband’s hand as tears streamed down my face.

My oncologist had delivered the great news first: after two rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, the rare and aggressive tumor in my breast was much smaller. But there was bad news. My platelets were dangerously low from the chemo, and I still needed at least four more rounds to have a chance at survival.

My doctor had a solution.

In a clinical trial at MD Anderson, I would receive an experimental drug to boost my platelets. But I would need to spend two out of every three weeks in Houston. At that time, I feared I wouldn’t live long enough to walk my 18-month-old daughter into first grade. I certainly didn’t want to spend any of my time in a Houston hospital room.

But I didn’t have a choice.

I’m sharing God’s story of faithfulness in my life over at (in)courage today! It’s a wonderful community and provides rich devotional content daily–I hope you’ll continue reading there, check out their other posts, and subscribe to their devotional emails.

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