refuge Archives - Marissa Henley

Our Ever-Present Help {No Matter What Monday}

April 9, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

A few years ago, I was talking with a friend about one of the many ways I think the internet is disconnecting us from each other, not just connecting us. Before Google, if I needed to know how to poach an egg or house-train a puppy or get olive oil out of my favorite sweater, I would call my mom or a friend. Now those phone calls don’t happen because we have all the answers at our fingertips.

So the next week, when my son threw up on the loveseat in our living room, I decided to call my mom to ask how to clean it rather than typing the question into an impersonal search engine. I explained my predicament and asked her what I should do. The first words out of her mouth were, “Have you Googled it?”

I’m thankful for my helpful mom, knowledgeable friends, and of course, Google. But I’m even more thankful for the One we can turn to for help in any and every problem we face.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2)

God is our refuge. He provides safety because He loves us and reigns over any circumstance, any power, or any person that would threaten us. As Paul says in Romans 8, nothing in this world can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ.

God is our strength. The One who created the heavens and the earth is your helper (Ps. 121:1-2). He placed in stars in the sky and the fish in the ocean depths, and He promises to give you His strength when you’re weak.

God is always present in our suffering. This is why the psalmist can say: “Therefore we will not fear . . .” We can face our troubles with confidence that the Lord is with us. He’s not just a passive, uninterested bystander. He is our heavenly Father, our refuge, and our strength.

No matter what you face this week, God is an ever-present help in trouble.

The Lord Listens When You Call {No Matter What Monday}

June 5, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Do unsolicited sales calls make you crazy? A lower interest rate, an extended car warranty, a timeshare opportunity . . . And I suspect most of these “amazing offers” aren’t even legit.

But I received a call recently that was rather entertaining. An exuberantly chipper woman told me I had qualified for a free cruise vacation (yeah, right) and just needed to answer a few questions. Our conversation went like this:

Me: I’m in the middle of working right now—this isn’t a good time.

Chipper Telemarketer: This is exciting! Okay, so is your annual household income still over $40,000?

Me: I don’t think you’re listening to me. I want you to take my name off your list.

Chipper Telemarketer: I don’t think I heard you clearly—let’s try this again so we can get you signed up for your free trip! Is your annual household income still over $40,000?

I’m thankful that our Heavenly Father is nothing like Miss Chipper. When we speak to Him, He doesn’t ignore us. He already knows our thoughts and concerns, and yet He still listens (see Psalm 139:1,4).

Psalm 91 tells us that God hears the cries of those who seek refuge in Him:

“When [the one who holds fast to me] calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” (Psalm 91:15)

When we call out to the Lord, He listens and responds. He rescues. He provides. He pours out His perfect peace.

No matter what you face this week, the Lord listens when you call to Him.

The Lord Knows Those Who Take Refuge in Him {No Matter What Monday}

November 14, 2016 by Marissa 1 Comment

It was the moment every performer dreads. My daughter sat at the grand piano in front of a hushed crowd, staring at her hands on the keys. There was no music in front of her, and her brain refused to bail out her stymied fingers. She was stuck, halfway through her piece. After a long pause and a couple of false starts, she finished the piece and took her bow. But in her mind, it was a disaster. A catastrophe. The Most Embarrassing Moment Ever in her short 7 years of life.

Can you guess what she did next? She ran to me. She climbed into my lap, buried her face in my chest, and cried. She didn’t run to her brothers, who were seated in the front row with the other performers. She didn’t run to the strangers in the audience seated right behind them. She didn’t even run to her piano teacher, whom she adores.

She ran to the one who knows her best.

Where do you run for comfort or refuge when life hurts? If I’m honest, I often run to a friend, to Facebook, or to a bag of popcorn. I forget the One who knows me in a way no one else does. My Heavenly Father knows my troubles and invites me to find refuge in Him.

Nahum 1:7: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

This verse gives us three reasons to run to the Lord with our troubles. 1) The Lord is good. It’s simple, but profound. He is unfailingly good. He will not disappoint us. 2) The Lord is a stronghold. He is a sure and steadfast anchor we can cling to in our struggles. 3) The Lord knows us. He knows our struggles. He knows our needs. He knows our past, present, and future. He knows.

No matter what we face this week, the Lord knows those who take refuge in Him.

The Steadfast Anchor for our Soul {No Matter What Monday}

April 11, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

What is your anchor? When the storms come and the wind throws your small boat up into the air, what keeps it from being tossed so far that it’s destroyed by the waves?

When the waves threaten, we need an anchor. Anchors are strong. Anchors are immovable. Anchors provide stability when life around us is turbulent.

In Hebrews 6:19, we are given a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul: “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor . . . ”

What is this anchor? If we at the context of the chapter, we see this anchor is the unchanging character of God’s promises. Theses promises are sure and steadfast because of the character of the One who makes them: His unwavering faithfulness.

What else in your life is unchanging? What else can you cling to that will never fail or waver? I haven’t found anything in my life that is more steadfast than the promises of my Heavenly Father.

Our Creator, Redeemer and Lord beckons us to find refuge in Him. He makes these promises and guarantees them with an oath to show us the “unchangeable character of his purpose,” so that “we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (verses 17-18).

Are your circumstances tossing you haphazardly? Does life feel chaotic or out of control? Find refuge in the Lord. Let his arms wrap around your rocking boat as he lowers the anchor of his steadfast promises.

Because the Lord is holding fast to you, you can hold fast to the hope set before you and face the storm ahead.