Commanded to Be of Good Cheer

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Rejoice.  Endure.  Pray.  Now that is a winning combination.  Each of these disciplines undergirds the other.  The cumulative power gained by exercising these disciplines is even more valuable to followers of Jesus Christ when considering when they will be applied - during the times of trial and tribulation.

So how do these things work together.  First of all, Jesus taught that in the world we will have tribulation.  This is a given.  There is no getting around it and it is becoming obvious in these days that tribulation for Christians is being ramped up in the form of persecution unlike anything that we have ever seen in our lifetime.  But knowing this, we can rejoice as we have the hope given to us by the Son of God who has overcome the world.  This is so certain that Jesus commands us to be of good cheer.  And finally, because of the weakness of our flesh, the Lord God Almighty has provided access to His throne.  When we are in the middle of the battle, losing strength and clearly not of good cheer, Our Heavenly Father invites us into His presence to receive an overflowing of His grace which will strengthen us, encourage us and lift us up into the joyful expectancy that belongs to us as children of the living God. 

May we rejoice in our hope.  May we persevere in our trials.  May we receive the fresh supplies of grace that we need to indeed be of good cheer at all times and under all circumstances.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the constant flow of Your grace into our lives.  Teach us, Father, to come to You throughout the day, not just at certain assigned times.  Show us how to come into Your presence without ceasing.  May we learn to humble ourselves before You endlessly as we come to You in prayer, bringing You the love, the honor and the praise that You alone deserve.  We pray that we will endure all things as we rely on the Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.  We rest on His promises.  We ask all these things in His precious, holy and mighty name.