Be of Good Cheer!

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

These precious words were spoken by our dear Savior! The Lord told us that in this lifetime we WILL HAVE TRIBULATION! There is no escape from it! Everyone has some kind of burden, problem, heartache and struggle in life. Even Jesus Himself had struggles and hardships. In numerous passages of Scriptures we find Christ fleeing for His very life from an angry mob! The Old Testament prophet Isaiah prophesied that Christ would suffer rejection of men, and be a man of sorrows. Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” 

The reason why Jesus told us to “BE OF GOOD CHEER,” is simply because He is waiting for us on the other end! Oh, it is wonderful to be a Christian!!! Because Jesus has already risen triumphant from the dead, and has ascended into Heaven as our High Priest (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:14-16), alive for evermore, we HAVE A HOPE!!! That is exactly what our dear Lord exclaimed in John 16:33. We have the hopeful expectation BY FAITH that things will ultimately improve, when we arrive in Heaven, and our days of misery and suffering on earth will forever end. We know this to be true because CHRIST IS RISEN! 

Everyone around the world is worried today, in March of 2020, about the much feared Coronavirus. The newsmedia has hyped the pandemic so much that people are even calling for the military now! I went shopping yesterday for a few items. I have never seen people behave like this, full of panic and fear. I watched people selfishly empty the shelves of basic supplies, cut in front of others at the checkouts lines, wearing face masks and wiping their shopping cart with disinfectant wipes. People are really freaking out over this virus! I am as calm as can be, not worried in the least, because my blessed Savior told me to “BE OF GOOD CHEER” in John 16:33. 

Why be of good cheer? Simply because Jesus has OVERCOME THE WORLD. You too my friend can overcome the world. How? What saith the Scripture? 1st John 5:4-5, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” Amen! You can overcome the world (i.e., be born-again and go to Heaven someday) by simply placing your trust (your faith) in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just take God at His Word, receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins! 

Did you know that suffering is as much a part of the Christian's life as salvation? Philippians 1:29, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” When we suffer, we suffer with our dear Savior, heirs together of ALL THINGS! Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” At salvation there is JUSTIFICATION for every believer; in Heaven there will be GLORIFICATION for every believer; but until then there is SANCTIFICATION, as we are conformed day by day into the image of Christ. God is going to make us happy in Heaven, because He loves His children. Romans 8:32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” BY FAITH, a Christian can be cheerful in suffering, in rejection by peers, in sorrow from loneliness, from bodily afflictions due to poor health, and from all that life can throw at us!! THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR BLESSINGS ON ME!!!