“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” James 5:13
January 29, 2025
There is a time to be sick and a time to be well. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says it this way, “There is a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Among other things we grieve when we are sick. The loss of our health for a season of time draws the Christian to think God’s way about it. First of all, all suffering should be met with prayer. God is to be trusted in the dark. James is talking about the need for patience which means that in bad times or good times, go to God. Prayer in times of trouble is an expression of patience. Secondly, God is to be praised in all the circumstances of life. When in a season of sickness, Christian songs can be helpful medicine. I will never forget a wife and mother who was dying with cancer who kept the melodies accompanied by biblical truth playing by her bedside. The attention of a caring person can be a vivid reminder of Christ’s abiding presence in our times of sickness. We are not promised immediate healing when the body is ravaged by pain, but that does not mean the Lord has abandoned us. Draw near to God.
H
“Some cannot carry a full cup without spilling. Others cannot bear a full load without breaking.” Thomas Manson