God's power Archives - Marissa Henley

God Has Proven That He Will Provide {No Matter What Monday}

September 17, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

When I was waaaay too young, I went on a date to a theme park with a boy who was also waaaay too young. The boy had saved his money for months to pay for my ticket and my meals that day. But I didn’t show up empty-handed. I had a couple of twenties stuffed in the pocket of my shorts, just in case. I didn’t trust a 12-year-old kid to provide for my needs for several hours.

Sometimes my confidence in God’s ability to provide falters, too. My needs are many. My needs are significant. My needs seem unending . . . And those are just the needs that I’m aware of! Surely no one can provide all that I need.

But right after Paul tells us in Romans 8:31 that God is for us, he writes that God has proven that He will provide:

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

God didn’t make an empty promise to provide for us. He proved it. Paul makes an argument here from the greater to the lesser. If God has sacrificed that which was most costly to Him—His own Son—we can have confidence that He will give us all the lesser things we need.

Do you wonder if God will give you strength to face your suffering? Look at Jesus and know that He will.

Do you wonder if God will give you wisdom in your pressing dilemma? Look at Jesus and know that He will.

Do you wonder if God will give you forgiveness and mercy when you can’t pull it together? Look at Jesus and know that He will.

Because God is all-powerful and in control, He is able to provide for you. Because God is faithful and loves you, He can be trusted to keep His promise to provide. God did not spare His own Son. He gave Him up for you. You can count on Him to not only have everything you need but also graciously give you all things.

No matter what you face this week, God has proven He will provide.

God is For You. {No Matter What Monday}

September 10, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel like it’s you against the world?

You vs. The slow driver in front of you when you’re already running late.

You vs. The disobedience of the little people in your house.

You vs. The co-worker who undermines your work at every step.

You vs. The hurtful consequences of your sin or the sin of others.

You vs. The fallenness of our world manifested in heartache, illness, and death.

Who or what is your nemesis this week? Take a minute and fill in the blank. This week, it feels like you vs. _____________________.

Then draw your hope and courage from Romans 8:31:

“What then can we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

In this verse, Paul proclaims that God is for us. It’s a bold claim—but it’s also the logical response to all “these things” he’s written in the verses just before. He just finished saying that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That God works all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. That God foreknew us, predestined us, called us, justified us, and glorified us by His grace. (See Rom. 8:1-30.)

If all this is true (and so much more!), we come to this conclusion: God is for us. And if God, the sovereign and powerful Creator and Sustainer of all that exists—if that God is for us, then who can be against us?

The answer is no one and nothing. People and circumstances threaten us and may appear to win, but the truth is that no one can successfully come against those who are in Christ. We are safely held by Him.

God takes what others intend for evil and use it for good in our lives, to sanctify us, refine us, and conform us to the image of His Son. (Gen. 50:20, Rom. 8:29.) Your children’s misbehavior, your co-worker’s schemes, your struggles with temptation, that driver in front of you, this fallen world—whatever your nemesis is this week—none of these can separate you from God’s love or from His plans for you (Rom. 8:38-39, Job 42:2).

No matter what you face this week, God is for you.

Our Sovereign God Always Accomplishes His Plans {No Matter What Monday}

January 15, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Now that we’re a couple of weeks into a new year, forgive me for asking—how are your new year’s resolutions going? Have you established any new habits or accomplished any of your plans? Or are you taking the “Kramer” approach to your goals?

If you’re a Seinfeld fan, you’ll remember the episode from season 2 when Kramer decides to build wooden levels in his apartment, complete with carpet and pillows, “like ancient Egypt.” He and Jerry make a bet about whether or not Kramer will follow through with his plans. Jerry is confident that Kramer won’t build the levels. By the end of the episode, Kramer abandons the idea but refuses to acknowledge he lost the bet, because he decided he didn’t want the levels. A frustrated Jerry tries to convince Kramer that was the whole point of the bet—that Kramer wouldn’t carry out his plans, whatever the reason.

Whether it’s a ridiculous renovation project or a reasonable exercise goal, our plans often change, falter, or fail. But our sovereign God always accomplishes His plans.

“The LORD of hosts has sworn: ‘As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.’” (Isaiah 14:24)

If God makes plans, you can bet on it happening.

Because God rules over all, nothing can thwart His plans or purposes (see Job 42:2). Because He is all-powerful, nothing in all creation can prevent Him from accomplishing all that He plans to do. Because He is sovereign, we can have confidence that He will keep all His promises to us, and none of His good purposes for us will fail.

Our plans are often frustrated by our lack of ability, lack of time, or lack of perseverance. But God doesn’t lack anything. He is perfect in power, He is eternal, and He is unchanging. He doesn’t waver or grow weary. We are fickle, but our Father is faithful.

No matter what you face this week, our sovereign God always accomplishes His plans.

(Photo by Ravi Pinisetti on Unsplash)

Jesus Christ is your Reigning King {No Matter What Monday}

December 18, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I have a confession to make: I love to tell people what to do. I’m a bossy person, and this character flaw revealed itself early in my childhood. My siblings often told me, “You’re not the boss of me!” Our poor brother had two older sisters telling him what to do, and one day, he snapped, “I don’t need three mommies!”

It’s a natural human tendency to wonder who’s in charge. Some of us also have the strong desire to be the one in charge; others are looking for someone to follow. But we all understand that someone needs to be the boss.

For the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at reasons Jesus came. There are countless other aspects of who He is, many of which we won’t know until we see Him face to face. We’ve seen how He is our Redeemer, our Reconciler, and our Righteous Advocate. Scripture also tells us that Jesus Christ is our Reigning King.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11)

God the Father has highly exalted the risen Son. His name is above every name, proving there is no one greater. Ephesians 1:21 tells us that God has seated Him “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Paul pulls out every extreme phrase he can find, but the human language can’t adequately describe the supremacy of Christ’s reign.

At Christ’s first coming, only a few knelt in worship—a handful of shepherds and a some traveling kings. The angels sang His praise, but much of the world was silent. As word spread about His birth, the reigning king of His time sought to kill the infant Messiah.

But at His second coming, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God will be glorified as all creation sees what we know is true today: Jesus reigns.

No matter what you face this week, your Savior is also your Reigning King.

(Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash)