Scripture: James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
Devotion: I have often heard it said that it is easy to praise God when things are going well, and it is much harder to praise God when things are dark. There are serious doubts and questions that happen when you are in a valley. But it is often in these times when we are calling on God because we need Him to show up. On the flipside, when things are going smoothly in life, I think we can become a bit apathetic toward God. Thankfully, this can fairly easily remedied with a filter of gratitude.
I was listening to the song Things I’m Thankful For by JJ Heller, and the lyrics of it shifted my heart posture today. The first two verses say this:
“Morning light
Starry nights
There's so much good in the world
Happy songs
Sing along
These are the things I'm thankful for
Skipping stones
Feeling known
The click of my key in the door
Summer rain
On window panes
These are the things I'm thankful for”
When we start to list out all of the seemingly little things that we are blessed with: breath in our lungs, the way the sky is painted orange and pink in the early morning, the smell of freshly baked bread, or the sound of kids giggling at each other, we realize that there is so much to be thankful for. And to think that our God so cares for us as to show up in those small details for our enjoyment and to reveal His love for us! What a wonder that is. May it ever be true that we respond as it says in James 5:13, no matter the mountain we are on or the valley we are in, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”
Reflect:
- Start writing a list of things that you are thankful for. They can be small things or big things. Then give thanks to God for them.