Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Why Sometimes I Don’t Say God is Good {No Matter What Monday}

by Leave a Comment

Psalm 145-7

I have a love-hate relationship with the phrase “God is good.”

I believe God is good, and I believe it’s important to acknowledge His goodness. But sometimes I hesitate to say, “God is good.”

When something fantastic happens and I respond with “God is so good,” is there an unspoken implication that if it had gone the other way, He wouldn’t be good? Or He wouldn’t be as good? Or He wouldn’t be as good in this situation?

This unspoken implication exists because we don’t typically proclaim God’s goodness when sharing bad news. When was the last time you saw a Facebook status that said, “Devastated by the news I didn’t get the job – God is sooooo good! #Blessed”

I hesitate to say “God is good” when I’m celebrating because I know I might not say it if I was grieving. Confessing God’s goodness isn’t my knee-jerk reaction on bad days. I may be aware of His comfort and peace, but His goodness doesn’t dominate my thoughts about God in those moments. Maybe you feel the same way?

And yet, God is good. All the time. In all circumstances, God deals with His children according to His unwavering goodness and steadfast love. We can proclaim His goodness with our happy news as well as our disappointments. When we suffer, His goodness is just as true. And we need to be reminded of His goodness even more in hardship than in good times.

I want to be like the generations of God’s people described by the psalmist in Psalm 145:7: “They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.”

I’m going on the record right now: God is good all the time. When good things happen, I’ll pour forth the fame of His abundant goodness to me, and simply say, “God is good.”

Because saying “God is good, but let’s all be clear on the fact that He is good even when the bad things happen” . . . well, that’s just awkward.

No matter what you face this week, God is abundantly good to you.

Share

God Heals Broken Hearts {No Matter What Monday}

by Leave a Comment

Ps 34-18 (2)

The Great Breakup of January 1991 swept through Woodland Junior High like a social earthquake. One couple after another toppled, and it seemed no one was immune. Even the long-term couples couldn’t withstand its force. When it was over, all that remained of the junior high dating culture was a bunch of brokenhearted adolescent girls, including me.

At the time, most of us who were dumped thought it was the most horrible heartbreak of our lives. But 25 years later that pain pales in comparison to the heartbreak we know as adults. We watch friends endure illness, job loss, divorce, death. We experience pain and loss ourselves. If we’re paying any attention to the world around us, heartbreak is everywhere.

When sadness threatens to crush us, there is a place for us to seek comfort: in the arms of our Heavenly Father. He cares for our broken hearts. He sees our pain and surrounds us with His love and peace. He will never leave us alone with our sadness. We can trust Him to lovingly mend our lives back together when the destruction of grief blasts through.

This truth isn’t a platitude that sounds nice but has no real power. And it isn’t a band-aid that we put on our grief that makes it all feel better. Grief and loss is still painful, even with the Lord. But as we run to Him with our broken hearts, He gently takes our pain, heals our wounds, and gives us the strength to go on. We can face our grief without despair because we belong to the One who heals broken hearts. And we know that one day, there will be no more broken hearts when we are with Him in heaven (Revelation 21:4).

Psalm 34:18: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

No matter what you face this week, our Heavenly Father heals broken hearts.

Share

We have Peace with God {No Matter What Monday}

by Leave a Comment

Romans 5-1

What are your greatest fears? Take a minute and name a few. Now answer this: what should be your greatest fears?

Maybe you’re afraid of natural disasters or terrorism affecting your family. But statistically speaking, you should be more concerned about car accidents and heart disease. Sometimes our greatest fears don’t line up with the greatest threats we face.

If we fear that which is our greatest threat, we should all fear God’s wrath. We belong to a holy and righteous Creator who will hold us accountable for our actions. And we will all fall short (Romans 3:23). But the good news of the gospel is that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). If you are in Christ by faith, you are covered by His righteousness and have no reason to fear!

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

Because of Christ, we have peace with God. We are reconciled to our Heavenly Father and Righteous Judge, the Lord God Almighty. We are declared righteous by God because of the righteousness given to us by Christ. Justification by faith eliminates our greatest threat – that which should be our greatest fear.

As a result, we can live confidently and face all our lesser fears. All other threats are temporary. All other fears come under the reign of the One who gave His own Son to turn away His wrath from us. We can praise His name as we walk through suffering because our greatest need has been met: our need to have peace with God.

No matter what you face this week, you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Share

Do Not Lose Heart, Glory is Coming {No Matter What Monday}

by Leave a Comment

2 Corinthians 4-16-17

I hate suspense. I’m impatient and can’t wait to know how it ends. Yes, I’m one of those people who turns to the last page of the book to see if the heroine lives or if the couple ends up together. I love binge-watching series on Netflix, because I can look ahead at the episode descriptions and get hints about what’s coming!

I don’t like suspense in my entertainment, and I certainly don’t want suspense in my life. I’m eager to know what’s ahead. What will my children’s lives be like? What challenges will my marriage face? What tragedy is lurking around the corner? What might happen in our nation or our world that will impact our lives? I wish I could turn to the last page and find out these answers!

And yet, God’s Word doesn’t keep us in suspense. We know how all this ends.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

This is the end of the story for those who belong to Christ: an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Eternal life, resurrected bodies, a new heaven and new earth, living forever in the light of Jesus Christ, seeing God’s final and complete victory over sin and death and evil.

Life is hard. We suffer. Our outer selves are wasting away, and we are afflicted. But glory is coming. And when we see God’s glory someday, all that we are enduring now will seem like light and momentary affliction.

I can’t wait.

No matter what, do not lose heart. Glory is coming!

Share