“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, That I will keep thy righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much: Quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me thy judgments. My soul is continually in my hand: Yet do I not forget thy law. The wicked have laid a snare for me: Yet I erred not from thy precepts. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: For they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes Alway, even unto the end.”
Psalm 119:105-112 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.119.105-112.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 ...