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James 5:13-14 AMPC

[13] Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God]. [14] Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord's name.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, was writing to God's people who at the time were scattered all over the whole world at the time. Persecution was mentioned as one of the reasons why these people were all over the world. Being a child of God does not insure you from some earthly realities. The fact that God backs me up does not mean that my back will not be against the wall sometimes. That is why James could charge his audience to count it as joy when various trials come their way, being quite assured that these tests will lead to spiritual maturity and inner peace. It is only in the hand of God that tough times can lead to outright testimonies. There will always be adequate provision tied to the place where God leads His own people to. As long as I am where God wants me to be, and doing what He wants me to do, I have the assurance that He is with me and I will end well. 

I note also that the verses above speak to God's people too, not unbelievers. These are people who know God, and as we know, there will be times when life happens to the best of us. As long as we are clothed in this human nature, there will be things we cannot control, as well as things that will happen to us for the glory of God. Recall the man who was blind from birth, yet the view of Jesus was that this man's experience was to bring glory to God, and that is what happened. As long as we are clothed in this human nature, things may go wrong, but we have a God to call upon. As laid out in the verses above, we have answers to whatever it is that may be a bother to us. Is there affliction? We are asked to pray. That is a response that does not always align with our reality, however, prayer makes it clear that I know there is a power that is greater and stronger than whatever it is that is bothering me. 

Even when things look great, and I am glad at heart, I must also sing praise to God. That response makes it clear that I appreciate my past and present, whilst also trusting God for my future. Even when things do go wrong, and there is sickness, right there in the assembly of God's people, God has placed the solution to that problem. It is by the combined faith of God's people that will lead to the healing of the sick person. What the verses above make clear is that for whatever life issue may come my way, God has placed the appropriate response within my reach. Praise or prayer are all responses that I can give to whatever comes my way. May there be no problem of life that will be so great that it will prevent me from reaching out to God, as well as through the people He has placed on my path. Am I also a blessing to the place where I have been planted? Can God count on me to also be a channel of blessing to those around me? God's time of favour is here.