James 5:13.
5:13. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
Pray and Sing
Life seems to come in two flavors. Riding high on the mountain top, or sinking low in the dark valley. The climb to the top may offer a steadily gaining position, but it takes a little bit of work, and hardship as we carry our burden up the path to the top. All it takes is one misplaced step to fall off the path and plunge down the face of the cliff that takes us back to the dark valley. Back at square one.
Early people, as mentioned in the scriptures, were said to have their minds and hearts always set on doing evil things. For them, when things were tough, whether because they were at the bottom of the heap or during their struggling up the mountain phase, they grumbled. They probably hated each other, envied the person who was a few steps ahead. They probably even made plans on how they could trample over another, or throw them off the path, just so they could gain a little bit in the pole position of the rush hour traffic.
They did evil. They planned, and plotted new ways tew do even more evil things to each other. All in bigger and worse ways. God put an end to it with the flood.
James says that when we have those moments, we should pray. Talk to God. Ask him for help. Call out to him for injustice done to you. Cry to him. Even let your anger out and rant at him. Once the tensions ar pored out, he will help you in rebuilding your spirits. With the frustrations and bitterness gone, he will pick you up, and set you back on your feet. His spirit will minister to the needs of your spirit. You will have the strength to face a new day.
God does listen to the cries of the oppressed. He has a way to conquer our enemies that far exceeds any plans that we might think up to do evil to them. Don’t let those thoughts cloud your mind.
For those moments when we do reach the top, or even a pasture of rest along the way. Sing it! Let those happy emotions flow with a song of praise to God for all that he has done. What? You can’t sing? Well, what is singing but a pretty form of shouting? Open your throat and let it out. Let people know that God is good. Go God Go!