“Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: For I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray: But now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; Teach me thy statutes. The proud have forged a lie against me: But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease; But I delight in thy law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me Than thousands of gold and silver.”
Psalm 119:65-72 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.119.65-72.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 ...