Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

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

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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.

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Guest Podcast Appearance ~ Sucker Punched with Becky McCoy

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I’m so grateful for this opportunity to share God’s story of faithfulness with my friend, Becky L. McCoy. She hosts a fabulous podcast called Sucker Punched. I’d love for you to check out the episode and subscribe to her podcast! I promise you’ll be encouraged by the stories of God’s grace in the midst of hard times she shares each week.

 

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God Heals Broken Hearts {No Matter What Monday}

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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.

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Hope Does Not Put Us to Shame {No Matter What Monday}

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Romans 5-5a

Romans 5:5 – And hope does not put us to shame . . .

Last week’s verses showed us how our suffering produces hope. Romans 5:5 goes on to say that this hope does not put us to shame. This is an important aspect of hope, because the certainty of it allows us to endure suffering with joy and peace.

When we talk about hope, we often refer to something that may or may not happen. We hope it doesn’t rain on our family picnic. We hope our husband remembers our anniversary. We hope to lose five pounds.

But when the Bible talks about hope, it refers to a sure thing. A rock-solid guarantee. An anchor for our souls.

I love how Dr. R.C. Sproul describes this truth: “Hope is not taking a deep breath and hoping things are going to turn out all right. It is assurance that God is going to do what He says He will do.”

We don’t cross our fingers and hope God’s love doesn’t turn out to be a sham. We know. We have hope because the God who always keeps His promises said that one day, He will make all things new. This hope will never put us to shame.

Wishes and dreams can’t anchor a hurting soul. Only the true and certain hope of the Lord is our sure foundation in the storm.

Whatever you face this week, your hope in the Lord will not put you to shame.

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