“Cheer up ye saints of God, There’s nothing to worry about; Nothing to make you feel afraid, Nothing to make you doubt; Remember Jesus saves you; So why not trust him and shout, You’ll be sorry you worried at all, tomorrow morning.” (Cheer Up, Ye Saints of God, Source unknown)
I learned this catchy tune from Caryl’s family. If my memory serves me correctly, it was a favorite of her missionary father. It is known as an old time gospel tune from England and the source is no longer known. I have found this tune popping into my mind at different times in my life. You can listen to the tune by clicking on the link above.
This simple tune should reflect the attitude of the follower of Jesus Christ. The Bible again and again reminds us about how our relationship with Jesus radically changes our perspective in life. My recent studies for our sermon series in 2 Corinthians took me to a quotation from Psalm 112. If provides the Biblical foundation for your cheerful behavior no matter what the circumstances. Let me encourage you to click on the link and read the 10 encouraging verses of the Psalm. I will touch on just a few reasons the follower of Jesus has to be cheerful.
The first verse implies that the Lord is in the process of changing our lives to be like Jesus and working in me. Here are some of God’s blessing in your life. 1. My children and grandchildren are blessed. “His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” Now, this is a truism not a guarantee. We need to remember that every person has a will and must choose to follow Jesus. Those that are raised in a godly home have an incredible advantage! 2. We experience physical blessing and more importantly spiritual blessing. “Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” The Lord has promised to take care of our needs. Many times, our personal prosperity is the result of putting Biblical principles into practice. I find myself constantly reminding Americans that compared to the world, the poorest in our culture, are wealthy compared to the majority of the world’s people. 3. We are able to be gracious with all people, even those that we disagree with. “Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.” Our perspective on life has changed. For instance, we see every person as one loved by Jesus (and by extension us.) We also know that God is our source of protection and provision. These realities allow us to be gracious with others. 4. We should be generous and treat others with dignity and strive to do what is right. “It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.” One of the great realities for the believer is that they can be wronged and not retaliate! It is because of the Lord’s blessing and provision in our lives.
Let me close with one last observation that definitely applies to our current times. 5. We can live above fear by trusting the Lord. “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:7 ESV If you find yourself getting fired up over some issue and melting down because things are not going the way you want. Let me encourage you to prayerfully read through Psalm 112 and remind yourself of the blessing of belonging to Jesus! “Cheer Up Ye Saints of God…..”
-Pastor Joe Parkinson