As always, Kelly Balarie is full of encouragement and hope… things we all need right about now! Perfect timing for me to share this guest post with you… Enjoy!

Are things going to turn out okay?

I don’t know about you, but these days, I see all this political talk and I can’t help but wonder where our country is heading. I see the CoronaVirus and don’t know when it is going to end. I see the news and it overwhelms me. Personally, beyond national happenings, I have personal hopes and dreams, prayers and requests, that still haven’t been answered by God yet.

Will they happen? Will I make it through? Will things turn out okay?  

Do you ever ask yourself these sorts of questions? Do you ever wonder if God will come through for you?

There can be such an inner anticipation for life-change, such a tangible hunger to see God move, and such a deep desire for answers. I suppose this is why I keep refreshing the news websites, again and again, and it’s why I keep wondering if my kids will stay in school.

There is just a need for me — to know what is happening.

Another person had to know too. Eve (of Adam and Eve), ultimately, had to know God’s knowledge. So much so, she bit into an apple full of future regrets. This decision — to know — led her astray from intimacy and the peaceful, restful, presence of God.

Having-to-know does the same for us too. It walks us away from intimacy with God — as our mind restlessly travels elsewhere.

Here, we get worried. We feel on-edge. We fret about safety. We get offended.

Yet, I can’t help but think this is not God’s best way. The truth is — we do not need to know everything, we just need to know the One who does. Our knowing usually amounts to nothing beyond worry. Yet, as we learn to rest in the fact that God knows we begin to know more and more of God and His love for us. Here, in this place of rest, of providence and of protection, we learn to trust: God has a good plan. He has made a way. He knows the exact timing of our everything..

Truly, we will reap a harvest — at the appointed time — if we do not give up (or make our own way, aside from God’s best way). (See Gal. 6:9)

God’s timing, His plan and His approach is the best way.

So in the meantime — what do we do? I love the instruction that is given in Isaiah 49:23 AMPC. It is written “they shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for, and expect Me.”

We simply wait for God, as we pray and rest in His presence.

We look for Him, believing He is coming.

We hope in God, knowing that His way is our best way.

We expect in Him, because He is faithful.

We come into a deeper “knowing” that the King of Kings, Lord of Lords is working out His best way, His best plan, His best timing, His best wisdom — all on our behalf. This sort of “knowing”-feeling comes from the place of rest.

About “Rest Now: 7 Ways To Say No, Set Boundaries and Seize Joy”

If you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Three out of five people admit to doing more than they can manage. Thinking God requires this, we say, “I must be everything to everyone.” Then we struggle and feel selfish and guilty when we say no, grow weary, or snap at someone out of sheer exhaustion. Is this what God desires? Somewhere along the line of being a good Christian, wife, daughter, or friend we lose sight of who we are in Christ. We put our performance above God and who he says we are. But what if we chose a more soul-full way?

Rest Now offers permission to breathe. It exposes the lies that distract, tire, and bully us, so we don’t strive for rest but love from it, like Jesus did. Learn how to

– create boundaries that allow you to overflow with love
– say no so you don’t hate yourself later
– ditch passive-aggressive behaviors in favor of healthy conversations
– embrace permission-giving thoughts to create mental space for God

About Kelly Balarie  

Kelly is a Cheerleader of Faith and a Fighter of Fear. She’s a get-on-the-gloves kind of girl. By seeking God’s unending encouragement, she uncovers His deep callings right under the surface of her worst failings. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by email for a dose of inspiration and encouragement. Kelly is a blogger at www.purposefulfaith.com, Crosswalk.com and iBelieve.com. Her work has been featured on Relevant and (in)courage.me, and as the cover story on Today’s Christian Woman.