“O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: There is that leviathan, Whom thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon thee; That thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: Thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: And thou renewest the face of the earth.”
Psalm 104:24-30 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.104.24-30.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 ...