Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:1 – 8)
Dear friend, God is encouraging you in this season. He knows what you are passing through and what your experiences are. His message is BE OF GOOD CHEER!
In John 16:32,33, Jesus told the disciples how they would be scattered due to the crisis leading to his death. It is similar to what is happening today, we are all scattered and cannot fellowship together as we wish to. But there is an assurance that God is with us. Jesus knew that even though He would physically be alone, He was not alone because His father was with Him. The Father is with you right where you are! Even though you do not have all the leverage and privileges. No matter the situation. Do not allow it to affect your spirit and your faith. Do not turn social distancing to 'spiritual distancing'. Do not experience a locked heaven in this lockdown. God’s word is the answer in times like this. We must seek his presence, commune with him.
Some of us are passing through peculiar pressures that no one can appreciate or solve. God knows you are passing through that pressure, distress or challenge. He knows! In the world there is trouble. This is a fact! But in Christ there is peace. Jesus offers the opposite of what the world offers. Where you lean towards will determine what you get. Are you leaning on the world or on Jesus? If you lean on Jesus, there is an assurance of peace and comfort. I do not know the storm you are going through, but there is an offer of peace (John 14:27). When there is peace, every storm will become quiet. There is help for you. I declare God’s help to you.
How we handle our challenge is critical to the outcome we will get. We can choose the path of being worried, despondent or choose the path of comfort and courage from the Lord. Jesus is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14) Be of good cheer! It means to dispel sorrow. The target of the troubles we are having is your faith. To cheer is to gladden, infuse life. Jesus is saying infuse life into your spirit, instill with hope and courage. For example, the role of a football fan club is to cheer their team despite their position. A good fan club does not stop singing until the match is over. They keep hope alive until it is over. The bible tells us of a cloud of witnesses that cheer us on.
I encourage you, you are going to rise up again. Draw strength from God’s word. Your victory or defeat is determined by the state of your heart. Make up your mind to cheer up.
Reasons to be of good cheer
- Sorrow of heart breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:133; 17:22. This also refers to physical bones. How you react to your situations can affect your health.
- We have a God of comfort. Isaiah 40:1
- There is an end to every battle Isaiah 40:2
- The glory of the Lord shall be revealed Isaiah 40:5
- We are not hopeless. John 16:33
- The word of God stands forever, God’s word will prevail Isaiah 40:8
Take responsibility
- Iniquity must be dealt with Isaiah 40:2
- Prepare Isaiah 40:3. Every visitation from God is preceded by preparation. Preparation of your heart. Make a straightway in the desert. Some hearts are as dry as a desert. Every valley must be filled. Straighten crooked paths. This is the time to take charge of your life.
- Have faith (Matthew 9:2). Jesus saw their faith and may He see your faith. May your faith be released now. The first ministering of Jesus to this man was to cheer him up. The state of your heart even when there is no answer, is important to connect to him.
Be of good cheer, know that His word will never fail. Even before you see the miracle, begin to rejoice, cheer up!
