“Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, And teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, Neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgment shall return unto righteousness: And all the upright in heart shall follow it.”
Psalm 94:12-15 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.94.12-15.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 ...