God's goodness Archives - Marissa Henley

God’s Abundant Goodness {No Matter What Monday}

May 20, 2019 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I love the language of Psalms. They are honest and raw, and yet full of beautiful praise. In Psalm 31, we see David work his way through the full range of emotions. In verse 9, he’s in distress. In verse 12, he’s been forgotten by everyone as if he was dead. He blesses the Lord and proclaims His covenant love in verse 21 and exhorts others to love the Lord in verse 23.

In the context of “terror on every side” (verse 13) and a desperate need for rescue, we find these words describing God’s goodness:

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” (Psalm 31:19)

First, David says that God’s goodness is abundant. One day when I was in the abyss of potty training a toddler, I put clothes in the laundry room sink to soak and forgot to turn off the faucet. I learned how quickly abundant water spreads throughout a room! God’s goodness is abundant and overflowing. It never runs out. It rushes into every corner of our lives and covers every inch.

David also tells us that God’s goodness is stored up for us. We don’t use up God’s goodness on our first day as His child. There are storehouses full of His abundant goodness that will never be emptied.

And God’s goodness is at work in our lives. God’s goodness isn’t just a nice theoretical idea. God’s goodness takes action. He works for our good and His glory in all the circumstances of our lives (Romans 8:28).

Because of God’s abundant goodness, we can commit our days to Him (Psalm 31:5, 15). We can trust in Him (Psalm 31:14). We can be strong and have courage as we wait for the Lord (Psalm 31:24).

No matter what you face this week, take refuge in God’s abundant goodness.

God Knows More {No Matter What Monday}

June 25, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I recently sat at a coffee shop table with a friend and chatted about the challenges of parenting tweens and teens. We shared areas where we were making decisions that are unpopular with our kids and encouraged each other to stay the course.

When you’re the one facing the eye-rolling and disgusted sighs of a child whose happiness you care about, you’ve got to cling to this basic truth: you know what’s best for your child. You know more than she does. She doesn’t understand how you could possibly be acting in her best interest, but you’ve got 20-30 more years of experience in this world, and you are qualified to make some decisions in her life.

I like to think I’m mature than my kids, but there are times that I want to do more than just roll my eyes at God. “I don’t get it!” I cry out in my pain and confusion. “How could this possibly be Your plan?”

God’s Word gently reminds me that my heavenly Father is qualified to rule over my days:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Even when we don’t understand His ways, we can have confidence in His goodness and love toward us in all that He does. The Bible tells us about one more aspect of God’s character that is higher than the heavens. Psalm 103:11 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.”

These are two things our finite human minds can’t fathom: God’s ways and God’s steadfast love. When we don’t understand what He’s doing, we can trust that His actions flow from a heart of steadfast love for His children.

No matter what you face this week, you can trust the One who knows more than you.

God Knows What He’s Doing {No Matter What Monday}

June 18, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I hopped on a plane last week to go to a conference, and I’m thankful for the ease and efficiency of air travel (at least most of the time!). But for a control-freak like me, it’s a little unsettling to place my life in the hands of someone I’ve never met. I wish I could interview the pilot before each flight: How long have you been doing this? Did you get good sleep last night? Any distracting personal problems you’d like to talk through before we take off?

And yet, the truth is that no matter how sleep-deprived or distracted the pilot may be, I can count on the pilot to do a better job flying the plane than I would. None of the other passengers are wishing I was in the cockpit! It’s a good idea for us to acknowledge that we don’t know as much about flying a plane as the one behind the wheel.

When I feel nervous about the wheels lifting off the ground, it helps to remember that there is One who has even more control over that plane than the pilot. Psalm 139 tell us that our heavenly Father has written every single one of our days in His book:

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:16)

There’s no need for us to interview God about His qualifications to hold our days in His hands. He is all-knowing and all-wise, and His understanding is unsearchable. He’s perfectly holy, good, faithful. He has the power to bring about all His plans for us, and nothing can thwart His purposes.

Sometimes life feels out of control and I don’t know what’s coming next. But nothing will touch my life that isn’t known and planned by my loving Heavenly Father. He knows where this plane is headed, He knows how we will get there, and He promises to be with me through the journey.

No matter what you face this week, your faithful Father knows what He’s doing in your life.

You Can Rest in God’s Sovereign Care {No Matter What Monday}

January 29, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

It was 4:15a.m., and I was having a pity party. I crawled under the covers that night without setting an alarm. I looked forward to getting the rest my mind and body craved after a long, busy week. But Samson had other plans for my early morning hours.

It doesn’t happen often (if it did, this devotional would include an advertisement for a free dog), but occasionally our dog decides he needs to go potty around 4 a.m. When Samson started pacing around our room and then scratching at the door, I was forced to abandon my hours of uninterrupted slumber and let him out.

I fumed as I got back in bed and worried that I wouldn’t get back to sleep. I wasn’t just angry at Samson—I was mad at God. “Don’t you know how tired I am, God? Don’t you know I needed sleep tonight?”

But then God’s Word flooded my mind, and I remembered that God is sovereign over all the details of my life—even dog’s bladders. He doesn’t withhold anything I need, and all that He allows is for my good. My anger subsided, and I eventually drifted off to sleep for a few more hours.

It’s one thing to find comfort in God’s sovereignty in the minor annoyances of life like a dog needing to potty in the middle of the night. But what about in the major hardships? Even in a cancer diagnosis, looming layoffs at work, or a difficult relationship, God’s sovereign care is an anchor we can cling to.

“Oh fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:9-10)

In His wisdom, God knows what we need. In His goodness, He desires to care for our needs. In His sovereignty, He is fully able to give us all that we need. We can trust Him to be the God on the throne who sees and knows and cares for each of His children. Those who are His lack no good thing.

No matter what you face this week, you can rest in God’s sovereign care.

(Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash)