“He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: He that keepeth understanding shall find good. A false witness shall not be unpunished, And he that speaketh lies shall perish. Delight is not seemly for a fool; Much less for a servant to have rule over princes. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; But his favour is as dew upon the grass. A foolish son is the calamity of his father: And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: And a prudent wife is from the LORD.”
Proverbs 19:8-14 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.19.8-14.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 ...