Good Cheer

Happy Friday!  I know so very many of you are excited for your weekends, and with this gorgeous weather here in North Georgia, I don’t blame you!  Today is one of the most beautiful days we’ve had all year, with 75 degrees as our current temperature and breezy, gusty winds that seem to dance festively with fall vibes. 

As I sit outside, baby sleeping nearby, a single phrase from the Bible keeps floating around my mind, “Be of good cheer”. 

It seems awfully hard with everything that’s happening in the world to be of good cheer.  Trust me, I know!  And maybe it’s the cooler weather, or the falling leaves, or chirping birds, or even the relaxing way the wind pushes the surface of the pond water talking, but today I can’t help but feel to be of good cheer. 

The very definition of cheer is gladness and gaiety.  You know, when the disciples were on the tumultuous sea and Jesus came walking up to them, he told them to “be of good cheer” (Matt 14:27).  And when Paul was in prison, and the Jews strove against him, God stood by him and said, “be of good cheer” (Acts 23:11).  It seems strange that in the midst of turmoil, Jesus was saying these words.  

And it seems strange now that in the midst of a pandemic, with so much unrest in the world, that I can sit here and hear those words and feel a peace drift over me. 

So I’m going to keep this short and simple: Be of good cheer. Know that God is with us, no matter what happens. And although bad things may come our way, we can still place our hope and trust in Him.