Everything’s Going to Be Okay

A compilation

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.”

In that moment, I was flooded with supernatural peace as I felt the Lord speaking through Mary. Her statement was not a dismissal of my pain or the complexity of the situation; however, something greater happened. The peace and comfort of God was somehow found in that statement in the middle of my storm.

“It’s going to be okay” is one of the most hope-filled sentiments I can offer to others and 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). That’s where hope comes from.

Of course, for the Christian, there is the future hope of eternity with God. But there is 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? It is tethering to the future what we know about God’s past faithfulness. 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. … Maybe it will happen one day, but 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 is faithful and 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.

We get a picture of hope, as these biblical words define it, in the life of the Apostle Paul. Paul encountered struggle after struggle, but he never lost hope that everything was going to be okay, and he assured others of the same 

(2 Corinthians 4:8–10).

Here’s the thing, though: Unless someone has struggled through traumatic situations themselves, I don’t really believe them when they tell me, “It’s going to be okay.” My knee-jerk reaction is, “How do you know?” Unless they truly understand, the words fall flat. When you aren’t ashamed to tell your darkest moments but freely reveal how God brought you through, you become believable. Hope becomes conceivable. Then you become a hope-giver.

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, vulnerable, and beautiful when we tell one 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.—Sharon Jaynes (1)

If you know that I love you, you know that everything is going to be okay in the end. I won’t ever stop loving you. So, whenever you’re going through a deep, dark, faith-testing experience, hold on to the fact that I love you and that everything is ultimately going to be all right.

Regardless of your circumstances, there will always be times of abasing and abounding  

(Philippians 4:12). There will be highs and lows; that’s the cycle of life. During a low point, don’t automatically assume that you’ve failed or My Spirit and blessings are not with you. You are My child, and I will always be there for you. Keep fighting the good fight and trust that I will never leave nor forsake you .—Jesus

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”  

(Proverbs 3:5–6).

If you are feeling overwhelmed today, dear friend, may I remind you that you can trust God. He is still trustworthy. Here are three practical steps you can take today to help you trust God and find peace:

1. Study the Word. Find a scripture that speaks into your situation and read it aloud again and again. I love Isaiah 43:19, 

which reminds me that  God will make a way in the wilderness.

2. Pray. Bring all your burdens, fears, and plans before God in prayer. Share your heart with Him as you would with a friend. Your prayers are powerful.

3. Trust God. To trust according to the dictionary means to “believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.” Trust that God is reliable enough to see you through. Trust that He will make a way even when a situation seems hopeless.

After reminding myself aloud that I trust God … I felt lighter and my mind felt clearer. Most importantly, I felt God’s peace. …

My prayer for you is that you will trust God in little things and in big things. In doing dishes, in cleaning, in working your day job, in parenting, in relating with your fellow humans, keep trusting God to give you the strength, wisdom, and guidance you need.—Precious Meshi Nkeih (2)

The Sparrow at Starbucks

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. … For a musician, it’s the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I’m told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our tip basket was almost overflowing. I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend, who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. … During our emotional rendition of the classic, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,”

I noticed a lady sitting across from me. After the tune was over, she approached me. “I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?” she asked.

“No,” I replied. “We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?” To my delight, she accepted my invitation. I said, “What are you in the mood to sing?”

“Well, ... do you know any hymns?” Hymns? This woman didn’t know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. “Name one.”

“Oh, I don’t know. There are so many good ones. You pick one.”

“Okay,” I replied. “How about ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’?”

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she said, “Let’s do that one.” … With my two-bar setup, she began to sing, “Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?”

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

“I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar ... I embraced my new friend. “That was beautiful!”

“Well, it’s funny that you picked that particular hymn,” she said.

“Why is that?”

“Well,” she hesitated again, “that was my daughter’s favorite song.”

“Really!” I exclaimed.

“Yes,” she said, and then grabbed my hands. ... “She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week.”

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. “Are you going to be okay?”

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. “I’m gonna be okay. I’ve just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything’s going to be just fine.” She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffeeshop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it was a coincidence.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it’s no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffeeshop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything’s going to be okay!—Kenneth Robb Kersey (3)

Published on Anchor August 2025.

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1 Sharon Jaynes, “It’s Going To Be OK,” Proverbs 31, April 16, 2021, https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2021/04/16/its-going-to-be-ok

2 Precious Meshi Nkeih, “Trust God, Everything Will Be Fine,” Precious Core, September 21, 2020, https://www.preciouscore.com/trust-god-everything-will-be-fine/

3 Kenneth Robb Kersey, “The Sparrow at Starbucks,” God’s Other Ways,  https://www.godsotherways.com/stories/2017/5/1/the-sparrow-at-starbucks-1