“They that trust in the LORD Shall be as mount Zion, Which cannot be removed, But abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, So the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; Lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O LORD, Unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: But peace shall be upon Israel.”
Psalm 125:1-5 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.125.1-5.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 ...