“There be three things which go well, Yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, And turneth not away for any; An greyhound; an he goat also; And a king, against whom there is no rising up. If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thine hand upon thy mouth. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.”
Proverbs 30:29-33 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.30.29-33.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 ...