“The words of a talebearer are as wounds, And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Burning lips and a wicked heart Are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, And layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: For there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, His wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: And he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; And a flattering mouth worketh ruin.”
Proverbs 26:22-28 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.26.22-28.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 ...