It’s Going to Be Okay
It was one of the worst days of my life. Tragedy struck our family in the worst way and I was emotionally paralyzed. That’s when my friend, Mary, stepped in to do what I couldn’t. She made me a hotel reservation, called the necessary people, and said, “It’s going to be okay.”
“It’s going to be okay” is one of the most hope-filled sentiments I can offer to others, and that I can choose to believe for myself. The writer of Hebrews says: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NET). That’s where hope comes from.
Of course, for the Christian, there is the future hope of eternity with God. But there’s also hope for the here and now. We have the assurance, the evidence of things not seen, that no matter what happens, God is still on His throne.
What is biblical hope? Hope is tethering what we do know about God’s faithfulness to what we don’t know about our future.
In defining faith as “being sure of what we hope for,” the writer of Hebrews gives us an insight into hope, but let’s chew on it a bit. Biblical hope is not a wish. A wish is something we want to have or to happen. “I wish I had a house.” “I wish I could go to Spain.” “I wish I had a smaller waistline.” Maybe it will happen one day, maybe it won’t.
In contrast, biblical hope is a certainty that our ultimate future rests in God’s capable and loving hands. It is an assurance that the invisible God has a good plan in my visible life.
Old Testament writers used several Hebrew words for hope. One is qawa, which means hope in the sense of trust, as when the prophet Jeremiah said to God, “Our hope is in you” (Jeremiah 14:22).
New Testament writers used the Greek word hupomeno for hope. It means to wait, to be patient, to endure, to persevere under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ.
One of the ways that we can become hope-givers is to share our stories of how God got us through a difficult time in our lives. Whether it was something done to us or through us, telling others about how God healed the hurt or removed the shame gives them hope that He can do it for them as well. When you tell your story of redemption:
Hope becomes conceivable.
You become believable.
Sometimes, it may take years to put back the pieces the wrecking ball of pain has caused. The atrocities we’ve endured may tempt us to believe that someone other than God is writing our stories. But God has the power:
To redeem what we consider unredeemable.
To heal what we consider fatally wounded.
To make our worst chapters our greatest victories.
And then to fashion us into hope-givers who are believable when we tell another, “It’s going to be okay.”
When tragedy tears our hearts out, when untimely death cracks the foundation of our faith, when abuse mars all that is good, we mourn. We grieve the loss. But we mustn’t allow the story to stop there.
I type these words with tears in my eyes because I have lived them.
Hear me when I say, it’s going to be okay—you’re going to be okay. God has more to write.
God, I trust You. No matter what happens this side of heaven, I know it’s going to be okay because You have a purpose and a plan. I might not like the situation or understand the observation, but I trust You without reservation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
What is one difficult situation you’re going through in which you need to believe…it’s going to be OK. Leave a message and let’s encourage one another.
Digging Deeper
Everyone likes a good story, but not everyone likes their own story. Did you know that the chapters you’d like to tear out of your story are the very ones God can use the most? Those stories can make you stronger…if you let them. They can give someone else hope…if you tell them.
When You Don’t Like Your Story: What if Your Worst Chapters Could Become Your Greatest Victories is one of my most powerful books. It will truly change your life.
Now available: A six-week video teaching series for group or individual study.
Also, check out the beautiful handmade This is My Story bracelet as a reminder to tell your story!
