“Lord, all my desire is before thee; And my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; And my kinsmen stand afar off. They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.”
Psalm 38:9-12 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.38.9-12.KJV
Responding to God at All Times
Throughout our lives, we will all experience both suffering and joy. We'll have times of great grief and times of overflowing happiness. Sometimes, they’ll be separate seasons—but other times, these experiences come together.
In either case and in any situation, James expected Christians to come to God. If someone was suffering, prayer was the call to action. If someone was cheerful, people were to pause and praise God.
This might seem obvious, but when suffering clouds our thinking, we can sometimes forget to prioritize prayer. And when things are going well and we're feeling cheerful, it’s easy to just enjoy our season and not stop long enough to praise God for it. But every season of life is actually just an opportunity to put into practice what James wrote about…
When we are suffering, let us pray. When those around us are suffering, let us pray. When we are cheerful or happy, let us praise God. When others are happy, let us praise God with ...