Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. James 5:13 KJV
The context in which today's extract is laid out must be emphasised. James was speaking to the right attitude in waiting for the day of the Lord. It is clear that the day is coming; whether I am ready for it or not becomes a different story altogether. Men think they can save up for the day by cheating others out of lawful income. Some think they can get away with mistreating other people for personal gain, forgetting that the standard required to be fit for the day of the Lord is as laid down by God and involves total submission to the Lordship and authority of Jesus. There are no room for grudges, but room for plenty of endurance and patience, so that one can receive the promise of God for the last days.
It is on this premise that the charge for today hangs. For those who have surrendered their lives to God, and are daily living in his strength, there is a deep well of resources available for them to draw out of. Taking on the Lord Jesus as Saviour means being able to access all that he is and gives. So when the world comes with its burdens and loads, I simply call on the grace that is available in Christ. It does not matter what the nature or gravity of the situation is; the answer to all that ails me lies in my approach to the throne of grace.
When there is any trouble, what is recommended is that I simply pray. It does not ask me to come before God and complain about my lot, or ask why my case is different from the other person. It does not pay in any way to moan about the journey God has called me to, but to simply depend on the grace that He has made available in abundant measure. It does not ask me to consult others before I pray; I am asked to simply come before the Lord in prayer and tell him exactly what is going on. Affliction is a part of the human experience, made possible due to the fall of man into sin in the Garden of Eden, but that same Garden was the place of the greatest promise made by God: the salvation of all mankind, as long as man makes the approach the right way.
Even in merry times when God has answered prayer or granted relief, a right response is also prescribed: sing psalms. David was a man who had this totally figured out. He was not perfect by the way we view things, but he was a man after God's heart, based on God's view, and it did not matter what or how anyone else felt. David wrote several songs, some of which have formed the inspiration behind some of the hymns we sing these days. I believe the lesson is this: no matter what life throws at me, it is very important to define what my response will be. I cannot wait until the problem comes; I have to store up the lessons God teaches me daily, so that when challenges come as they did for Joseph in Egypt or Daniel in Babylon, I have the right experiences, encounters and information stored up that I can draw on.
No matter what comes, my heart must be right so it can produce the right results. As I prepare for the day of the Lord, so many terrible things will happen, and even the faith of many will be shaken, but God speaks still, seeking to show himself strong in the lives of all who are fully committed to him. When he is in charge, my life will produce fruit that will look like what God is. If he is not in, I can't fake it, no matter how hard I try. He wants me to be ready for all that is coming; would I? God's time of favour is here.
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