“My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: My tongue is The pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: Grace is poured into thy lips: Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, With thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously Because of truth and meekness and righteousness; And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; Whereby the people fall under thee.”
Psalm 45:1-5 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.45.1-5.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 ...