BE OF GOOD CHEER- Wednesday October 11th 2017
Memorise: A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13
14:23 And
when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart
to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
MESSAGE:
The
message in today’s memory verse is food for thought for those children
of God who think that being sorrowful or morose is a Christian virtue. A
gloomy spirit is of the devil, who wants us to be in sorrow
continually. Open Heaven 11 October 2017: Wednesday daily devotional by
Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Be of good cheer. In contrast to this, God wants
all His children to be happy. The Holy Spirit in Isaiah 61:3 said that God gives joy to the sorrowful:
“To
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit
of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
The
Lord Jesus Christ, who came to demonstrate the nature and the character
of God, read the above scripture in a synagogue on a certain day, and
He declared:
“This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
Luke 4:21b
By this declaration, as a child of God, you should not live in sorrow any more.
All
through the course of Jesus’ earthly ministry, one statement that was
common with Him was, “Be of good cheer”. In other words, “Have a merry
heart”. He continually said this because He knew that a merry heart
results in a smiling face and is like medicine to the body and soul (Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 17:22). For example, John 16:33,
Jesus told the disciples to be of good cheer because He had overcome
the world.
This means that, as children of God, we should not go about
in life wearing a sorrowful face in self-pity – not even when we are
confronted with the challenges of life. In the story of the man
afflicted with the palsy, Jesus told him to be of good cheer because his
sins were forgiven (Matthew 9:2).
In other words, “Son, although your sins brought this sickness to your
life, you are now forgiven, and you are made whole.” I prophesy to you
today, irrespective of the agonising condition your past life has
brought into your present, the Lord will redeem you today. You are
forgiven by the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ, and you will be
happy again in Jesus’ Name. In today’s Bible reading, the disciples were
in the midst of the sea and its waves tossed them here and there. In
the midst of palpable fear and despair, Jesus came to them and rebuked
their faithlessness, before rebuking the destructive wind. He then
encouraged them to be of good cheer. In like manner, the Lord is
speaking to you today that you will not drown in that situation. Be
cheerful because Emmanuel is with you. Your joy shall come, and it shall
come in full measure in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point:
Father, flood my heart with unspeakable joy today and for ever more.
Open
Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye,
the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the
largest evangelical Church in the world and also the President of
Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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