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A Future of Everlasting Joy {No Matter What Monday}

June 4, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Last week, I was listening to a friend wrestle with a big decision when she said something that really resonated with me: “I wish I could see into the future.”

One of my greatest frustrations in life is not knowing what’s ahead. Honestly, I struggle to trust God’s wisdom in not sharing this knowledge with us. Some days, I feel like I’m standing with my face scrunched up against the glass of time, desperate for a glimpse of what’s to come. It feels like it would be so much easier to navigate the hardships and choices of today if I had a clue about what tomorrow holds.

But God, in His perfect wisdom and faithfulness, tells us in His Word exactly what we need to know about our future—no less and no more. We know that for those who are in Christ, there will be a glorious end to our suffering, an imperishable inheritance, and eternal life in heaven. And in this verse from Isaiah, we learn that our future is filled with joy:

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:11)

Glorious singing. Joy that lasts forever. Not striving for happiness and abiding joy, but owning it always. No more sorrow, no more burdened sighs. Because of our Savior, we have been ransomed from this broken world, and this is the future that awaits us. Isn’t it beautiful?

When we wrestle with the hardships and choices of today, let’s cling to the promise of our glorious future. When we can’t see what’s ahead, let’s hold tightly to the One who holds all our tomorrows in His hands. When life overwhelms us, let’s remember the promises of our heavenly Father, who will carry us through the cares of this life and bring us into our joy-filled eternity.

No matter what you face this week, the Lord promises a future of everlasting joy.

The Risen Christ Conquered Death {No Matter What Monday}

April 2, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I’ll never forget the look of joy on his little 3-year-old face when he heard the news. My first-born, Christopher, was eating breakfast at the kitchen table when he started asking questions about Jesus. He had heard repeatedly that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins. But apparently we had failed to mention one crucial piece of information – Jesus didn’t stay dead. When I mentioned that Jesus rose from the dead, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, “Jesus is ALIVE?!?” He clapped his hands exuberantly and shouted, “Yaaaaaay!”

It was such a joy to witness the moment my son first learned the good news of the resurrection. He realized for the first time that death didn’t win. Jesus isn’t still in the grave. He is risen!

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:20 and 55, NIV)

Friend, this is good news: Jesus is alive! He isn’t just a suffering Savior who died in your place but a reigning King who conquered the power of death. Yes, He took the punishment for your sin and freed you from its guilt. But He also rose victorious over the ultimate enemy. We read in Revelation 1:18 that Jesus holds the keys to death and hades. Death has no power over Him.

Our risen Savior is the firstfruits of the resurrection. “Firstfruits” implies that there are more resurrection fruits to come! When He stepped out of the grave, He made a way for us to have new life in Him now and eternal life with Him forever. Death has no power over Him, and it also has no power over those of us who are in Christ.

And so even though we feel the pain and sting of death here temporarily, we can look at the empty grave and say with Paul, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Jesus Christ took the sting of death for us, so we wait eagerly for the day when we feel it no more.

No matter what you face this week, the risen Christ conquered death for us.

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)

Jesus Christ is your Reconciling Savior {No Matter What Monday}

December 4, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I got my first credit card when I was in college. It was meant for emergencies only, but I became very relaxed with my definition of “emergency.” (Is being out to dinner with friends an emergency? What about not having something to wear to a special occasion?)

By the time I graduated, I racked up more than $1000 in credit card debt and had no way to pay it. The debt weighed on me—I felt the burden of it every day. Finally, I had to tell my fiancé that he was marrying into this debt. He was gracious about it, and we used wedding gifts to pay off the debt. But I regretted that I was starting married life with barely a clean financial slate and nothing positive to offer our financial situation.

Here’s what I love about the redeeming sacrifice Christ made for us: He didn’t just wipe the slate clean and leave us to prove ourselves to God on our own. He could have forgiven our debt, put us back at zero, and then let us earn our way into God’s favor. But that’s not what He did.

In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ did all that was necessary to fully reconcile us to God:

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19–20)

We have peace with God because of the blood Christ shed on the cross. This is why the baby was born in the stable—to fix the devastation our sin caused in our relationship with God. These verses tell us that His redeeming sacrifice had the power to reconcile all things on earth or in heaven.

Because the fullness of God dwelled in Him, Jesus Christ has the power to reconcile you to God. You don’t need to worry about getting yourself on God’s positive side with your good works. Christ’s work has perfectly ushered you into a reconciled relationship with your Heavenly Father.

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ has fully reconciled you to God.

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