Do you think God wants to cheers us up?

I get up some mornings and look at the weather, the rain, the wind, the darkness, and think “Oh well another sodden day!” I grab a cup of coffee and battle on with the day. Good old British upper lip an’ all that!

Pausing to read the bible for only a brief moment – because I had too long under the covers thinking “Just a few more minutes before I face the world” – and I read “son, be of good cheer”, effectively God saying “cheer up lad!” I imagine this read in a northern accent but that is silly. I know God is the God of the universe and not just a shire, or a country. 

I imagine if God was to speak to the world like at the event on the mountain of Sinai in Exodus 19 – his voice would be heard in all languages and all accents at the same time.

As Christians, or follows of Christ, do we get up each day and believe ourselves to be wretched, and God is there with us thinking “not again, just cheer up and get on with it! I imagine this because this is how I try to be with my children, each morning getting them up with a classic phrase like “rise and shine!” and being deliberately over the top and happy. They must hate it!

The book of common prayer seems to emphasise the wretchedness of us all it its language. Perhaps that is just my perception? But it certainly starts of with a prayer of confession. I know I am not perfect, far from it, but some mornings I really do need someone – God – to wake me up and say “cheer up”.

Matthew 9

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

I wrote this in the morning and then I have returned after a long day.

Our human focus can focus on the negative, stuck in traffic jams, and various other problems, but if we think of God’s words, He tells us before He will help with the your sins are forgiven, or even with the healing part, we must cheer up and be positive.

When dark moments strike we must be first of good cheer, be positive and if we find it hard, get among friends who will build you up, who will be positive.

So I pray that you will be of good cheer, and as the trees are reaching for the sun, so we will reach for the true Son, and King. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen

with blessings

Graham