In James 5:13 we find these words: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.”

Here at the end of his inspired epistle, we see that James has categorized our lives under two broad headings. While not simplistic, it is a simple way to think about and to look at the whole of our existence. There are times of sorrow and difficulty—experiences of “suffering.” And then, there are times of happiness and joy—experiences that we classify as “cheerful.”

Every child of God has known these two life-conditions. Even as you read these words, you are in one of these seasons (perhaps you are experiencing a combination of both!). However, you’re in great company, for we cannot name one saint in the Bible who did not walk on these two pathways, perhaps going back and forth between the two with an almost predictable regularity—sorrow and joy, pain and deliverance, adversity and prosperity, debilitating fear and supernatural peace, doubt and assurance, despair and radiant hope. This rhythm, the perpetual movement between these two opposites, is what life is made of for all of us!

On Sunday as we gather together to hear the Lord’s Word for us, James will teach us 1) that we have a faithful and loving Father for all seasons, and 2) that we also have a corresponding responsibility in the two broad conditions of life. We must always “pray,” and we must always “sing”!