“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, And praise him in the assembly of the elders. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, And the watersprings into dry ground; A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of them that dwell therein. He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, And dry ground into watersprings.”
Psalm 107:31-35 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.107.31-35.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 ...