“There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; She is the only one of her mother, She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, And terrible as an army with banners? I went down into the garden of nuts To see the fruits of the valley, And to see whether the vine flourished, And the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, My soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.”
Song of Solomon 6:8-13 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/sng.6.8-13.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 ...