“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: For his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of Lords: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made great lights: For his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: For his mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: For his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 136:1-9 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.136.1-9.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 ...