promises Archives - Marissa Henley

God’s Truth Remains Forever {No Matter What Monday}

February 19, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

“You can’t trust everything you read on the internet.” – Abraham Lincoln 😉

How much information have you consumed already today? Maybe you’ve read a devotional book or your Bible, maybe you’ve checked your email. (And not necessarily in that order.) Have you gotten online and read some of the 3.3 million updates posted to Facebook every minute? What about one of the 2 million blogs that will be posted today?

We’re not lacking for information, are we? We can’t escape it! If you’re like me, you might even have apps on your phone to prevent you from sitting and consuming information all day long.

Not all of it is bad—you’re reading this online, aren’t you? But a lot of what we consume is a waste of time, harmful to our emotional health, or even completely false information (see the above quote!).

When we want lasting truth, there is just one place to turn:

“For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:24–25)

In times of uncertainty, difficulty, or doubt, God’s Word brings peace and comfort. It tells us of God’s unchanging promises. It reminds us of the great salvation given to us by grace through faith in Christ. It breathes life into our weary hearts and equips us for the days ahead.

The information we consume is quickly buried by the avalanche of new data, new articles, and new arguments. When you feel pushed and pulled by the whims of your Facebook feed, hold on to this truth: The promises of God’s Word remain forever.

The good news of the Gospel doesn’t wither or fade with the times. Christ lived, died, and rose again to save sinners. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, this truth remains.

No matter what you face this week, the truth of God’s Word remains forever.

Cling to the Better Promises {No Matter What Monday}

October 30, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

When my daughter was two and a half years old, she experienced the best day she’d ever had.

She didn’t understand why I put the butterfly wings and bright, puffy tutu on her. But her older brothers were wearing weird stuff, too, so she didn’t complain. I handed her a bucket and told her to walk up to our neighbors house and ring the doorbell. She timidly followed her brothers to the door.

And then the craziest thing happened. A woman opened the door and gave her candy for no reason at all!

A couple hours later, my little girl sat at our kitchen table with her candy collection spread in front of her. She was enjoying a lollipop and eyeing the rest of her stash when I told her it was time for bed. She looked at me, looked at the abundance before her, and replied, “I need to finish my snack.”

My daughter still loves candy, and Halloween is one of her favorite holidays. But I don’t want her to find her greatest joy in the treats of this world. I want her to know the One who gives life, joy, and pleasures that will never fade or run out. My prayer for her is that one day she will wholeheartedly declare with the psalmist:

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

The Lord has shown you the path of life: His Son, Jesus Christ. Only in His presence will you find true joy that satisfies your weary soul. And one day those who have been redeemed will see Him face-to-face and enjoy pleasures forevermore with Him.

Are you chasing after pleasures that don’t satisfy you? Are you struggling to find joy in difficult or stressful circumstances? Is this life disappointing you with its hardship and heartache? We don’t have to settle for the hollow promises and fleeting pleasures of this world. Instead, we can stand on the better promises of our Savior.

No matter what you face this week, cling to the One who promises you life, joy, and pleasures forevermore.

Hold Fast to the Faithful One {No Matter What Monday}

August 14, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

My husband and I spent most of the 1990’s watching Seinfeld. (Anyone else?!) In one of my favorite episodes, Jerry arrives at the rental car counter and learns they ran out of cars. He is baffled that, despite his reservation, the company doesn’t have a car for him. He tells the employee, “You know how to take the reservation, you just don’t know how to hold the reservation. And that’s really the most important part of the reservation – the holding.”

We can sometimes fall into similar thinking about our faith. We’ve seen the Lord work in our lives, and we know His salvation – but will it stick? Will our faith hold until the end? How can we have an enduring faith?

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23, NIV)

In this verse, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to hold on to the hope we profess. This hope isn’t wishful thinking, the way we often use the word “hope” in English. For a Christian, hope is confidence in the rock-solid promises of God. We can hold unswervingly to this hope because—and only because—the One who makes these promises is faithful to keep them.

Our assurance doesn’t come from the strength of our faith, but from the object of our faith – the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. God can be trusted to always complete what He started (Philippians 1:6). His faithfulness is the reason we can grab on tight to hope and never let go.

When you wonder if your faith is enough, hold fast to the faithful One who keeps all His promises to you . . . the One who will hold you until the end.

No matter what you face this week, hold on to your hope, because He who calls you is faithful.

When All You Want is Answers (and All You Have is a Parachute)

November 2, 2016 by Marissa 1 Comment

We soared through the air, our legs dangling over an ocean that could swallow us up with barely a ripple of acknowledgement. We tried to enjoy the view: the multi-colored landscape, buildings scattered across the island, the water below us marbled with different shades of blue and green, white waves breaking 400 feet beneath us. We spoke reassuring words to each other, remembering my brother-in-law’s assessment that it’s “no scarier than a ferris wheel.” I wasn’t sure I agreed.

Several minutes into our parasailing adventure, I turned to my sister and said, “Once we’re sitting in that boat, this will be the coolest thing we have ever done.”

Statistically speaking, I knew the outcome would be good. But there were just enough unknowns, however unlikely they were, to keep my stomach flip-flopping. Would the rope break? Would the parachute rip? Would the harness fail and send us free-falling into the sea?

Once we were on the boat, these questions would be answered. With the answers would come peace and certainty. In the meantime, I tried to relax and trust the parasailing operators, whose names I didn’t even know.

What do your answer-less places feel like to you? Maybe you feel stuck between two cliffs, not sure where to put your hands and feet next as you try to climb to safety. Maybe you feel lost in a tunnel, clutching a faint lantern and hoping you’re walking toward the exit.

If you haven’t been there already, you will be one day: the difficult, in-between place. You’ve been ripped from a worry-free life, where you enjoyed certainty and answers. You no longer have your present and future figured out. You’ve been thrown into a place of hardship, struggle, and darkness. You have more questions than answers.

And yet, we have hope through the hardship. There is a glimmer of light, reminding us that God’s promises are true. One day, we may have answers on this earth and see the purpose in our suffering. Or we may be asked to wait until we see Him face-to-face and the light of His glory melts our questions away.

In the meantime, how do we live in the near-darkness of the in-between place? If you’re like me, there are some days when your lantern burns brightly, and you’re convinced God’s promises are true. Other days, you fear the flame might die completely as you struggle to trust what doesn’t feel true at all.

The in-between place is a place of tension. We trust and we doubt. We are filled with peace and still fear. We know God is good but our circumstances are anything but good. We clamor to cling to Christ with slippery fingers.

Friend, I’ve lived in that tension. I’m right back there sometimes. Each time I visit the dark, uncertain tunnel, the Lord uses the tension to grow my trust in Him. My lantern grows a bit brighter the next time.

When I was in the air, I believed the men on the boat were parasailing operators. But I didn’t trust that they were safe until I’d lived through the tension of unanswered questions and landed on my bottom on the back of that boat. In a similar way, God works in the in-between place, transforming our belief into trust. He holds us even when we doubt and fear, and He nudges us a little closer to faith that doesn’t need answers to thrive.

Are you walking in the tunnel? Are you stuck in the in-between place, craving answers? Let’s wrestle through it together.

If you lived near me, I’d bring you a pan of enchiladas (the only decent meal I can make). I’d sit and listen to your struggles and questions. I’d share my own, letting you know you’re not alone. And I’d gently point you to the light of God’s promises. I’d remind you that even though the in-between place is hard—so hard—it is not permanent. And you are not alone.

I can’t bring you enchiladas, but I’ll bring all the good I can: God’s true, unchanging promises. I hope to point you to Him and help your lantern of faith burn a little brighter as you struggle through your in-between place.