And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I, be not afraid.” Mark 6:50b
Suggested Scripture reading – Mark 6:45-52
The day had been long and full for the Lord Jesus. He had fed 5,000 people with five loves of bread and two fish. At the end of the day He felt the need to be alone with His Father. He sent His disciples by boat to Bethsaida with while He dispersed the crowd and went into the mountain to be alone and pray. As the evening came on a storm blew up on the lake. The disciples were rowing very hard but the “wind was contrary unto them,” They feared for their very lives. Jesus, seeing their plight from the mountain top, prepared to go to them. Mark tells us that, “He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.” (vs. 18) When they saw Him they were frightened that He would pass by them and leave them to die in the sea.
In 1868 Fanny Crosby had gone to a prison to minister to the men being held there. “After she had spoken and some of her hymns had been sung, she heard one of the prisoners cry out in a pleading voice, ‘Good Lord, do not pass me by.’ (Hymnologists, William J. Reynolds.) She wrote a hymn that evening incorporating the line, ‘Pass me not, O gentle Savior.’ Putting herself in the place of the suffering and disregarded, Crosby understood that some had been so rejected that it took faith to realize that Christ is the one who would never pass anyone by.” (Dr. Hawn, “The United Methodist Reporter”. Taken from Umportal.org)
When Jesus saw the fear of the disciples, “immediately He talked with them, and said unto them, ‘be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.’” The storm ceased and peace came to their hearts.
That night the prisoner learned what millions can attest; the fact that the Lord Jesus has never passed by a seeking soul. Since the day of Blind Bartemaus (Luke 18:35-43) He has been Savior to all who call upon Him. “His actions in so many cases bore witness that He cared for those forgotten by others.” (IBID)
Be assured, if you would call out to Him in faith, He will come to you, speak peace to your heart and save your soul. He will say in the time of your storm,
“Be of good cheer, it is I,
Be not Afraid.
