joy Archives - Marissa Henley

Yet I Will Rejoice {No Matter What Monday}

March 25, 2019 by Marissa Leave a Comment

We’ve been taking a journey this month with the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. He’s pleaded with God to relieve his suffering, heard a troubling answer, reminded himself of God’s character, and received comforting promises from his God. The book of Habakkuk concludes with a beautiful prayer of trust and hope that Habakkuk wrote to be sung by God’s people in worship.

After remembering God’s faithfulness to His people throughout their history, Habakkuk ends his prayer with these words:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

These verses sounds strange to our modern ears . . . no figs or olive oil? Problems with the flock? But this is describing a natural disaster of huge proportions for an ancient, agrarian society. For Habakkuk, if the trees don’t blossom and the flock is gone, there is no food. Habakkuk is saying, “Even if the world falls apart and I lack basic necessities like food, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”

What’s your “even if”? If the cancer comes back . . . if you never get married . . . if you suffer another miscarriage . . . if your prodigal child never returns home . . . if your relationship with your estranged family member never improves . . . yet we will rejoice in the Lord, we will take joy in the God of our salvation.

Habakkuk isn’t trusting that his circumstances are going to get better – he’s trusting who God is, no matter what. He knows God can and will keep all His promises. He knows God is ruling and reigning over all things. The Lord is his strength as he seeks to live by faith, remembering that the One who’s been faithful in the past will be faithful throughout Habakkuk’s uncertain future.

No matter what you face this week, find your joy and your strength in the faithful Lord.

Delight Yourself in the Lord {No Matter What Monday

January 21, 2019 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I’ve noticed a trend in my life—maybe you’ve experienced this, too. I have my eye on something new for awhile, and I finally get it. At first, my new possession makes me happy. It’s shiny and pretty, or it makes my life easier, or it’s just a fun new toy. But then I find that this new thing doesn’t bring me as much joy as it did at first. A catalog comes in the mail, or a friend gets a new car, or I notice a cute pair of boots at the mall, and suddenly there’s something else that I want.

I know it’s true, but I still so often forget: the things of this world will never truly satisfy my heart. No matter how much I get, I’ll always want more. There’s only one way to get the desires of my heart once and for all:

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

This verse doesn’t mean that if I delight myself in the Lord, I’ll get everything listed in the latest Pottery Barn catalog. But as my delight in the Lord grows, my desire will be for Him and the good gifts He gives. And He is always faithful to give us every spiritual blessing in Christ (see Ephesians 1:3).

God has given His Son to die for you. He’s given you His Spirit to dwell in you. If God gave up His own Son for you, you can have confidence that He will also give you everything else you need (see Romans 8:32).

When your desire is for the Lord, you will have all you could ever hope for. When God gives you Himself, He also gives you His strength, His peace, His joy, His promises fulfilled, and eternity with Him.

No matter what you face this week, delight in the Lord who has given Himself to you.

Your Waiting Will Not Last Forever {No Matter What Monday}

November 19, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Do you remember what it was like to have out-of-town visitors arriving in the days before cell phones? When I was a kid, I loved the days when our grandparents were coming to town. We knew how far they were driving and could ballpark a estimated arrival time, but we couldn’t be certain. All day we’d watch with eager anticipation for our loved ones, never knowing when the doorbell would end our waiting.

We’ve been talking about waiting for the past couple of weeks. We have courage because it’s the Lord we are waiting for. We remember that God is good to us while we wait. And today let’s find comfort in the promise that our waiting will not last forever. Whether we receive the desires of our hearts here or in heaven, there will be a glorious day when all our waiting will end.

“It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited on him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’” (Isaiah 25:9)

One day, we will behold our God and realize that all we need is Him. Can you imagine seeing the Lord and wishing you’d gotten that new car you’d always dreamed of? Everything else we’ve been waiting for will flee from our thoughts as we see the glory of God and enjoy His presence forever.

This line from a song by Sandra McCracken is one of my favorite descriptions of that day: “He has done great things, we will say together, we will feast and weep no more.”

Can you picture all of God’s people together, finally seeing the full goodness and beauty of our Lord and Savior, giving Him praise for all the great things He has done? Can you see the eyes that will never again cry sorrowful tears? On that day, we will have all we have ever waited for in Christ.

No matter what you face this week, your waiting will not last forever.

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.