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Introduction
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Many years ago I had a very
severe bout of depression.
It was unquestionably “My
dark Hour”. During those
dark days and nights it
seemed that life had no
future and irrespective of
what direction I looked,
everything was dark. Saints
at times made the darkness
darker still by telling me
to “get out of it” or “if
you were a real christian
you would not be like that”
or “a real christian cannot
get depressed”. I decided
to stop praying, closed my
Bible and decided, “that is
it for me!”. As the
intensity grew I began to
question my own salvation.
Then one day when during a
“having nothing to do with
spiritual things”, the
gracious Spirit of God
brought three persons to my
heart: |
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a) |
First there was David. The
sweet psalmist of Israel
knew what it was to be
depressed. Three times he
repeated the agony of his
heart saying, “Why art thou
cast down, O my soul? and
why art thou disquieted
within me?” (Psa. 42:5, 11;
43:5). That was astounding
and what an encouragement.
That great man knew the
darkness of depression. |
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b) |
Then the gracious Spirit
brought to my mind Elijah
when he sat under the
juniper trees and wanted to
die (1 Kgs. 19:4). This
mighty prophet who stood
fearless before the four
hundred prophets of Baal and
who sat at the table of that
wicked woman Jezebel and her
equally evil husband Ahab (1
Kgs. 19:19), was depressed.
This was most encouraging.
David who gave us the
beautiful Psalms and the
great prophet Elijah, both
of them knew depression. |
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c) |
Then the greatest of all
encouragements came when the
Spirit caused me to consider
the Lord in Gethsemane when
He began to “be very heavy”
(Matt. 26:37, 43). The word
means to be greatly
distressed, “to be put to
grief”, “to be sore
troubled”. |
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i) |
What words of cheer these
three examples were.
Thereafter
when I was told I was not
much of a christian, I
replied saying, “I am in the
best of company for David
knew what this was, Elijah
knew what it was, and our
blessed Lord knew what it
was, I am in the best of
company”. |
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ii) |
As I live and move among the
saints, now having been in
multiple parts of the world
ministering the Word of God
for some 50 years, I have
yet to find a saint who does
not at times need a word of
encouragement, a “Be of good
cheer”. |
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iii) |
Sadly, today the latest
publishing trend is “self
help books” to help people
think better about
themselves when dark days
through depression, danger
or disease are upon them.
What words of hope could
Socrates say, or Plato, or
any modern TV so called
“evangelist” speak to those
who are in depressions
darkness? In looking at the
philosophies of man they all
fail for they are all
dependent on self help and
the hurting individual needs
to go back constantly to get
another “pick me up”. There
is only one who can not only
speak words of cheer and
comfort, but provide that
which is needed to
strengthen the hurting
individual. Only the Lord
can give peace in the storms
of life, calmness in the
diseases and sickness of
life, and hope in the
unknown and dark times of
depression. |
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iv) |
Only the God of Hope (Rom.
15:13) can whisper, “Be of
good cheer”, and by the
intercessory work of our
Lord and strengthening by
the Holy Spirit our spirits
can be lifted again. |
The Meaning of The Word "Cheer"
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As with many words, context
must be taken into
consideration. For
instance, take
the word “record”. It can
refer to a recording of a
speech etc., it can indicate
an official document, or
the excellency of an
accomplishment is recorded.
It all depends on the
context. The same with how
words are used in the
scriptures. |
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a) |
The word translated “cheer”
comes from a word meaning
“courage”, “to be
strengthened”, “to comfort”. |
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i) |
When the woman who had the
issue of blood was healed it
would have been with
trepidation she would have
approached the Lord. It is
my understanding that the
Greek word in this case is
best translated, “Be of good
comfort”. |
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ii) |
When the disciples were in
the storm tossed boat, it
would be (to my mind) better
translated “Courage”, thus
reading, “be of good courage
it is I, be not afraid” (Jn.
6:20). |
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In the above references what
a comfort it would have been
to know the Lord of creation
was the speaker, to know
one’s sins had been
forgiven, to know as Paul
would have learnt the
purposes of God cannot be
thwarted by angry humans.
The contexts must be
considered in each case of
the following references. |
"Be of Good Cheer"
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In reading the historical
books of the New Testament,
Matthew through Acts, it is
observed the Lord said this
expression five times, four
times on earth and once from
Heaven. He said it to: |
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a) |
The man sick of the palsy
(Matt. 9:2) |
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b) |
The lady with the issue of
blood (translated “comfort”
in KJV) (Matt. 9:22) |
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c) |
The disciples in the boat
(Matt. 14:27) |
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d) |
The disciples (Jn. 16:33) |
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e) |
Paul (Acts 23:11) |
The Unnaturalness of The Command
When the Lord spoke it was not just
words or a nice little cliche. It
was a command of comfort, “Be of
good cheer”. If we were to put
ourselves in the situation
of the various individuals when the
Lord spoke these words, we would
say, “It’s impossible”. To Jairus
who had just heard the heart
breaking news, “Thy daughter is
dead; trouble not
the Master” (Lk. 8:49), what
devastating news for any parent, and
in that dark hour the Lord says, “Be
of good cheer”. How could he be of
good cheer? Consider the disciples
being in the boat in the storm
tossed
sea and drowning appears imminent.
In that frightening situation when
those with hearts like a lion melt
in fear, the Lord says, “Be of good
cheer”. How could they be of good
cheer or courage? If anyone else
said it, it would be a wicked
mockery, but not the Lord. It’s not
natural to be of good cheer in such
dire situations.
The Speaker In Each Case
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The importance is to observe
who said these words and in
what circumstances were they
said to the individuals.
Here is the first
observation: |
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a) |
In every case except one,
the Lord speaks to the
individuals. How precious
this is, whither
individually or to a number
of disciples in the same
situation the Lord speaks,
“Be of good cheer”. Later
Peter wrote, “Casting all
your care upon Him: for He
careth for you” (1 Pet.
5:7). On that storm tossed
sea he learnt the Lord cared
for him. The interesting
thing is not just the truth
conveyed but the fact that
the first word “care” is a
plural word meaning,
“Casting all your cares upon
Him”. The second word is
singular indicating God has
only one care, and that is
you or I. So the verse can
read, “Casting all your
cares upon Him: for He had
only one care and it is
you”. Isaiah, who wrote of
He who “carried our sorrows”
(Isa. 53:4) also wrote, “He
shall feed his flock like a
shepherd: he shall gather
the lambs with his arm, and
carry them in his bosom, and
shall gently lead those that
are with young” (Isa.
40:11). Also,
when I am old, then He says,
“And even to your old age I
am he; and even to hoar
hairs will I carry you: I
have made, and I will bear;
even I will carry, and will
deliver you” (Isa. 46:4).
The Almighty God, creator of
all, speaks peace and
encouragement to our hearts
saying, “Be of good cheer”.
With such a one speaking,
how could the individual not
be encouraged? |
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b) |
Then in the five before
mentioned references the
Lord speaks. This is the
man who lived a human life
with all its attending joys
and sorrows, who knew what
it was to pray, weep, feel
pain, suffer for
righteousness, honor God and
live for the glory of God
and the Father. He knew
dark days. How hard it must
have been to live in that
Jewish family where none of
his brethren believed in Him
and thought he was mad.
Consider when after three
years of teaching,
preaching, and
discipling He had only
twelve weak failing human
individuals. He was so
desolate and could have
said, “Lover and friend hast
Thou put far from me (Psa.
88:18), or “I am like a
pelican of the wilderness,
I am like an owl of the
desert, I watch, and am as a
sparrow, alone upon the
house top” (Psa. 102:6-7).
He knew the need for
encouragement for none ever
was afflicted as He was. |
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