“Straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” — Matthew 14:27.
THE four words, “Be of good cheer,” represent only one Greek word. It has been suggested that it might be rendered by the English term, “Cheerio”! Several times our Lord used this expression to encourage the fainting hearts of His disciples. The same word is used in Acts 23:11; 27:22, 25. When Christ Himself is concerned about us there is no cause for worry or anxiety on our part. No matter how heavy the storm or how distressing the trials we have to face He is there to cheer and to deliver.
“Night was upon there, the tempest was howling,
Waves running high, and their hearts full of fear;
When all was darkness, the Saviour drew near them,
And they heard His voice saying, ‘Be of good cheer’.
Are we in darkness? Do winds blow against us?
Are we in fear with the waves running high?
Listen! By faith we can hear through the tempest,
‘Be not afraid, My dear ones; it is I.’
‘Be of good cheer,’ Earth’s foundations seem tottering,
All is unrest, and men’s hearts are perplexed;
We need not fear, since the Lord is so near us,
He drawath nigh, and in Him we may rest.”