“As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, So is he that giveth honour to a fool. As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, So is a parable in the mouth of fools. The great God that formed all things Both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. As a dog returneth to his vomit, So a fool returneth to his folly. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him. The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; A lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon his hinges, So doth the slothful upon his bed.”
Proverbs 26:8-14 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.26.8-14.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 ...