“O my God, make them like a wheel; As the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, And as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; So persecute them with thy tempest, And make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; That they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; Yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, Art the Most High over all the earth.”
Psalm 83:13-18 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.83.13-18.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 ...