Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

All God’s Work is Faithful {No Matter What Monday}

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It’s the question every stay-at-home mom dreads: “What did you do all day?” 

When I stayed home with my littles, I never knew how to answer this question. I had been busy all day, but I had nothing to show for it. I changed diapers that were soon dirty again. I put the blocks back in the bin so my son could dump them back out. I fixed food, fed the little people (further contributing to the diaper situation mentioned above), cleaned up the kitchen, and started the entire process over a few hours later. I knew to an outsider (or to my husband when he came home from work), it would look like I’d done nothing all day. 

Do you ever wonder what God’s been up to? Days, weeks, months go by, and you’re still hurting. Your problems haven’t been solved. Your relationship is still broken, your disease hasn’t been healed, your pain seems ever-present. You feel like asking God, “What did you do all day?!” 

When we don’t understand what God’s doing, let’s remember these beautiful words from Psalm 33: 

“For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.” (Ps. 33:4)

The first part of the verse tells us that God’s Word is right. He cannot lie. His Word is good and perfect and true. 

Then we read that all God’s work is done in faithfulness. (I wish I could say the same about my own work!) His work always reflects the promises of His good, perfect, and true Word. 

God’s faithfulness is His complete, unfailing, forever commitment to keep every one of His promises. As He works in our world and in every moment of our lives, His work always puts His faithfulness on display. 

We may not understand what God’s doing, but we do know this: In all that He does, He is faithful. 

No matter what you face this week, all God’s work is done in faithfulness. 

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God is Good While We Wait {No Matter What Monday}

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Have you ever been so eager to see how a book ends that it makes you rush toward the finish? Often I skim quickly through pages of character development, scenic descriptions, and emotionally-laden dialogue because I just can’t wait to see the outcome. I miss the goodness and beauty as I rush through the tension to the resolution.

In a similar way, I sometimes miss the beauty of God’s goodness in the struggles of life because I’m weary of waiting. I shared last week how much I hate to wait. But God’s Word reminds us that the Author of our story always shows His goodness to us—not just by bringing an end to our waiting, but in the dreary, dragging, difficult middle.

In Lamentations 3, Jeremiah is in a tough spot. He has forgotten his happiness and finds himself in deep turmoil (Lamentations 3:17). He calls to mind God’s faithfulness, steadfast love, and daily mercies, and he puts his hope in the Lord (Lamentations 3:21-24). But his suffering doesn’t instantly end. He has peace, but he also still has problems. And then he says:

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him “ (Lamentations 3:25).

The Lord is good to us in our waiting. We don’t only look forward to future goodness when our wait is over. We can cling to His present goodness right here in the messy middle.

While you wait, God will hear you when you cry out to Him, and He will be with you (Micah 7:7, Psalm 40:1, Joshua 1:9, Hebrews 13:5).

While you wait, God will renew your strength when you are weary (Isaiah 40:31).

While you wait, God will never stop caring for you—not for one single minute (Psalm 23:6).

No matter what you face this week, God is good while you wait.

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Wait for the Lord {No Matter What Monday}

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I hate to wait. As someone who hates to wait at red lights, you can imagine the distress I felt last month when I learned that to renew my husband’s car registration, one of us would need to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles in person and visit not just one but THREE separate departments in the building. And as the one who doesn’t have a full-time job, this lovely responsibility fell to me.

We groan when we hear that we need to visit the DMV, don’t we? Because we know we will have to wait. We expect to wait at the DMV, doctor’s offices, and the car line at school. But these are all minor inconveniences compared to the big waits in life. Maybe you’re waiting for healing, for reconciliation in a relationship, or for a prodigal child to return. Maybe you don’t know which way to go, and you’re waiting for direction.

While I knew I’d eventually leave the DMV with a little sticker for my husband’s license plate, we often don’t know when or how our waiting will end. What we do know is the One we are waiting for.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

We can be strong and have courage as we wait, because we know the Lord is with us. Our hope isn’t in a particular outcome; our hope is in Him. His presence gives us peace as we wait.

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (Psalm 39:7)

And as we wait, we can have peace because of the promises of God’s Word. The truth of His Word sustains us as we wait.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” (Psalm 130:5)

Waiting is hard, friends. But we are not left alone. We are waiting for the Lord, who gives us hope through the promises of His Word.

No matter what you face this week, let your heart take courage as you wait for the Lord.

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

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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.

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