Be of Good Cheer

[Traditional]

Be of good cheer is a phrase that Jesus used to encourage his disciples in times of fear, doubt, or trouble. He said it when he walked on the water and calmed the storm, when he healed a paralyzed man and forgave his sins, and when he promised them peace and victory over the world. Be of good cheer means to have faith, hope, and courage in Jesus, who is always with us and has over come the world.

I want the focus in this thread to be how we can have peace and victory over the world. The troubles that we all face in life and how they can easily discourage us. What started my study on this topic were the following three verses.

Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

This call to courage from God to Joshua was based on the promise of God’s presence. God's promise is what enables us to be strong, knowing that we are overcomers when we abide in him. That's what gives us the courage not to be afraid or anxious. It's all about remaining in His presence.

We have all gone through hard times that make us feel felt weak, inadequate, and frightened. They can make us feel defeated and give us a desire to give up. But God knew all about his feelings of personal weakness and fear and told Joshua three times, to be strong and courageous. God also urged him not to be afraid or discouraged . These Instructions from God along with their accompanying assurances (God’s promise, God’s power, and God’s presence) are ours and last a lifetime. All Believers can be uplifted by the same three assurances.

The real question is, how can we develop an unsinkable faith that carries us through life with a hopeful, positive attitude no matter what life throws at us? I believe the answer is found in God's word. This next verse I believe holds the key. And that's the power of love. It comes from having a common well-balanced mind. Plus exercising discipline and self-control.

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and ell-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2Timothy 1:7

This next verse brings up the topic of fear and terror. Both of which can have devastating negative effects. When negative thoughts are controlling us, there is still hope. When we learn to change the way we think, we can change the way we feel.

Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

The link below has 36 verses on being of good cheer.

What Does the Bible Say About Be Of Good Cheer? (openbible.info)

 

[Rockson]

This call to courage from God to Joshua was based on the promise of God’s presence. God's promise is what enables us to be strong, knowing that we are overcomers when we abide in him. That's what gives us the courage not to be afraid or anxious. It's all about remaining in His presence.

True. We're in a constant battle in the mind where our natural minds always want to make us think God is a million miles away. I find I quote the following each day, and I worship and give thanksgiving to God with this and if one does it they might be pleasantly surprised at just how God becomes alive, and active in a manifested way in their life.

I pray this daily (or words like it) Lord you said you'd never leave me nor forsake me Heb 13:5 so that I might do something....and that is to boldly say the Lord is my helper! You're not only just with me Lord but you're in me and greater is he Jesus that is in me than he that is in the world! 1 Jn 4:4 The Almighty God Jesus does live and abide in me granting me victory over all my problems and trials!

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.....1 Cor 6:19 God therefore lives in me, walks in me, dwells in me and your life Lord flows out of me setting captives FREE! God you're the creator of the heavens and the earth and all my problems are like a speck of dust in your sight! The Kingdom of God is within me Lk 17:20 and Lord you're not a million miles away. (I even joke around with him a bit and say boldly) You can't fool me Jesus. I know that you're looking at me right now. Prov 15:3 You're focused on every detail of my life and you care for me! 1 Pt 5:7 Lk 12:7

I could say a lot more but what this does is transforms one's worldly carnal thinking to what is actually true in the Spirit. It also make you want to pray to God about everything.....after all...he is WITH YOU!

 

[Traditional]

True. We're in a constant battle in the mind where our natural minds always want to make us think God is a million miles away. I find I quote the following each day, and I worship and give thanksgiving to God with this and if one does it they might be pleasantly surprised at just how God becomes alive, and active in a manifested way in their life.

I pray this daily (or words like it) Lord you said you'd never leave me nor forsake me Heb 13:5 so that I might do something....and that is to boldly say the Lord is my helper! You're not only just with me Lord but you're in me and greater is he Jesus that is in me than he that is in the world! 1 Jn 4:4 The Almighty God Jesus does live and abide in me granting me victory over all my problems and trials!

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.....1 Cor 6:19 God therefore lives in me, walks in me, dwells in me and your life Lord flows out of me setting captives FREE! God you're the creator of the heavens and the earth and all my problems are like a speck of dust in your sight! The Kingdom of God is within me Lk 17:20 and Lord you're not a million miles away. (I even joke around with him a bit and say boldly) You can't fool me Jesus. I know that you're looking at me right now. Prov 15:3 You're focused on every detail of my life and you care for me! 1 Pt 5:7 Lk 12:7

I could say a lot more but what this does is transforms one's worldly carnal thinking to what is actually true in the Spirit. It also make you want to pray to God about everything.....after all...he is WITH YOU!

I just found this in my saved documents I have no idea who the author is but it seemed to fit in with this discussion.

Guarding Our Hearts

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.—PROVERBS 4:23

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace . . . which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.—PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

I like to connect the verse from Proverbs with Paul’s words to the Philippians. We read that God tells us to guard our hearts—to watch over them carefully. But what does that really mean? It means to be alert or watchful about the ways of the enemy. It’s easy to become careless about guarding our hearts and being alert to Satan’s subtle tactics when things are going our way and God is pouring out His blessings on our lives.

All of us face struggles from time to time, but when we diligently stand guard over our hearts, we become more aware that God’s plan is for us to overcome.

Instead of using the word guard, I like to think of it this way: We need to post a sentinel around our hearts or, as it says above, “garrison and mount guard.” Think of what a guard or sentinel does—he’s on duty. He watches for the enemy to attack. He’s not just ready; he’s actively watchful and prepared to resist all attacks from the enemy.That’s how we need to live—with a trustworthy sentinel. It doesn’t mean we live in fear or constantly have to check to see if the devil is sneaking around. Think of it more as posting a sentinel to do that for us.

What kind of sentinel do we need? I think of the two most obvious ones: prayer and the Word of God. If we pray for God’s Holy Spirit to guard our hearts, He will honor that request. When the enemy creeps up, the sentinel calls out, “Thus saith the Lord,” and the enemy flees. (The devil really is a coward and won’t openly fight us.)Read Paul’s words again. If we push away our anxieties (which we do by prayer and supplication) and fill our heart with thanksgiving, God’s peace stands guard over us.

God helps us resist any charge of the enemy. We also must not minimize thanksgiving. That’s such a simple way to keep ourselves alert to Satan’s devices. As we give thanks to God through our words and our songs, we are guarding our hearts. As the old hymn says: “Count your blessings—name them one by one; count your many blessings—see what God has done. ”It’s more than just singing a few words, however—it is actually pausing on purpose to remember all the good things that God has done in our lives. As we rejoice over past blessings, we open ourselves to more blessings in the future.

Another ally we sometimes overlook is other believers. When we’re aware of our weaknesses, we can agree in prayer with other believers. We can ask them to pray specifically that we won’t be misled or attacked by the enemy when we’re not as alert as we should be. Other believers can intercede for us—just as we can for them. What better guards can we post than those who cry out to God on behalf of others? The devil doesn’t like hearing such prayers.

 

[Rockson]

Guarding Our Hearts

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.—PROVERBS 4:23

A very good post you created by the way. I've found a lot of dear saints lament over many problems or frustrations they have. Various reasons why. At times though I see this.....one doesn't guard their hearts, fill their lives with foolishness and they get into trouble and see reap what they sow. God still seeks to reach down and help them but he wants them to show vigilance and keep their focus on what's going to make them strong.

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace . . . which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.—PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

Great verse! Many would say no way I can't do that. Look at how big my problems are and to say don't fret? Question is would God tell us something to do which wasn't possible to do? No. One really has to lock in and refuse to being pushed out of FAITH.

 

[Obadiah]

3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].
He heals the brokenhearted, is a promise from God found in Psalm 147:3

This Bible verse expresses God's care and compassion for those of us that are hurting. The verse also says that God binds up our wounds, meaning he cures our pains and sorrows. The verse is part of a psalm that praises God for his power, love and his mercy.