Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Suffering Produces Hope {No Matter What Monday}

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Romans 5-3-4

Last week, we looked at the foundation of our joy: the grace of God and His free gift of eternal life in Christ. Heaven seems like a great reason to rejoice, right?

But in the next verse of Romans 5, Paul throws a curveball:

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings . . .” (Romans 5:3)

Wait, what? I’m on board with rejoicing in the thought of eternal glory, but rejoicing in suffering? You better explain yourself, Paul!

“ . . . Knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

I’d love to develop endurance, character, and hope. But if I’m honest, I’d rather enjoy a comfortable, easy, suffering-free life. I lose interest my character development quickly if it requires suffering to get there.

However, God is more concerned with my character than my comfort. He is working to conform me to the likeness of His Son, not to conform my lifestyle to match my neighbor’s. Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic and cancer survivor, says it this way: “Sometimes God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.”

God hates suffering, illness, tragedy, and death. But in His mysterious sovereignty, He uses suffering to accomplish what He loves: teaching His beloved children endurance, growing our character, and giving us hope. As our earthly foundations crumble through suffering, we see that the only true source of hope is the Lord. Suffering is not good. But finding our hope in the Lord is very good indeed.

No matter what you face this week, your suffering will produce something wonderful: hope in the Lord.

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

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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!

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Sharing God’s Faithfulness ~ Feathers Podcast

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feathersAs long as I live, I want to share His story of faithfulness with others. This past week, I had the opportunity to talk with Amy J. Bennett on the Feathers: Faith in Flight podcast.

Feathers features stories of people who faced difficult situations and were asked by God to have faith and obey Him. I love listening to it as I drive, exercise, or do housework. Amy’s God-honoring conversations with her guests inspire me, and I enjoyed getting to share my own story with her listeners!

If you’d like to listen or share the podcast episode with others, head on over to Amy’s website. I recommend checking out her other episodes while you’re there!

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Remember God’s Past Faithfulness {No Matter What Monday}

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lamentations 3

I mentioned last week that it was time for the semi-annual check of my insides to look for cancer recurrence. This experience can be so daunting that there’s a term for the emotions that come with it: scanxiety. As I approached Scan Day, I swung on a pendulum between complete confidence that everything would be fine and dreadful certainty that nothing would be fine.

 

One tactic I use during scan weeks is to remind myself that, no matter how worked up I get each time, all my other scans have been clear. I am a five-year survivor and, as of last week’s clear scans, I have accumulated a record of 14 rounds of scans showing no evidence of disease. (Praise the Lord with me!) Remembering these past experiences brings some peace when I face uncertainty, but this peace is not a sure foundation. Statistically speaking, the years of good results makes future good results more likely. But there is no guarantee.

 

When calling to mind past medical success doesn’t completely quiet my soul, I’m thankful there’s something better.

 

Lamentations 3:21-23 says: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

 

Calling to mind the Lord’s faithfulness and steadfast love brings hope and peace to my worried soul. Remembering His past faithfulness to His people in general and in my life specifically gives me confidence as I face uncertainty and doubts. Because God never changes, His past faithfulness absolutely guarantees His present and future faithfulness to us.

 

I don’t know that everything will be fine. But I do know the Lord will be faithful. Because He was faithful yesterday, I can confidently depend on Him to be faithful today and expect Him to be faithful tomorrow.

 

What thoughts of fear and doubt are plaguing your thoughts today? What can you call to mind about the Lord’s faithfulness in your life? How can remembering His past faithfulness give you peace and confidence for your future?

 

No matter what, we can remember God’s past faithfulness, depend on His present faithfulness, and expect His future faithfulness.

 

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