“Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, Than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. The foolishness of man perverteth his way: And his heart fretteth against the LORD. Wealth maketh many friends; But the poor is separated from his neighbour. A false witness shall not be unpunished, And he that speaketh lies shall not escape. Many will intreat the favour of the prince: And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. All the brethren of the poor do hate him: How much more do his friends go far from him? He pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.”
Proverbs 19:1-7 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.19.1-7.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 ...