Be of good cheer!

"Be of good cheer!" The King James version renders Matthew 14:27 just this way. I often read various translations to get a full view of the meaning of a passage. (I also watch CNN and Fox News, as well as trying to get more views of events from as many sources as possible.)

Recently reading the above, and the companion passage Mark 6:50, in the New American Standard Version, I noticed a very intriguing difference in translation. Translators substitute for "be of good cheer" the phrase "Take courage." AHHHHH, clarity! The missing element for so many people today is just this, courage. We view our lack of happiness and attribute it to all sorts of things, the absence of money, of a nice home, of someone who will take care of all our problems for us, but what we need is courage!

Let us examine this thought a little further. When I am discouraged over my job what will help me? Wallowing in self pity? This is the temptation that so often destroys happiness! Elijah was distressed and "on the run" and all his work for God had, in his eyes, been for naught. How did God help Elijah? First He gave Elijah something to do (I Kings 19:15-17); then he let him know in v. 18 that he was not alone.

How many times do we reach out longing to know that we are not the only ones that suffer? How much of our worry and strain would we relieve by working on a cause greater than ourselves? How wonderful it is to find those who have the same goals and follow the same master. Elijah was told that God still had people working to obey Him and not bowing their knee to a false God.

Yet too often we do just the opposite. We refuse new work and refuse to share our burdens with others! How often we are ready to curl up and hide from the snares and burdens that weigh upon us? Yet God told Elijah, "Get up, I have work for you." Not only did he have work for Elijah he wanted Elijah to appoint his successor! That's right God's work was not dead, in fact His work would go on after Elijah was taken from this world. So to understand the will of God, we must understand that no matter how much it seems a failure to us, God's will and God's work continue. Its success is not dependent upon us, our success is dependent upon whether or not we obey the will of God.

Understanding that true success lies not in the accumulation of silver and gold or honors and accolades but in the end hearing "well done thou good and faithful servant."

Take courage!