When is it time to look to God?

It would be interesting to take a poll and ask people "When do you look to God?" and "When do you think other people look to God?" I imagine the results would be interesting to be able to note the difference between what people answer for themselves and what people answer for others.

But a more important question is "When do I look to God?" There is more to the passage we covered Sunday than just verse 13 of James 5, but it contains what the answer should be:

"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms."

You might be tempted to say that the verse only covers 2 situations - affliction and merriment. But the concept of putting two extremes in one verse, and two fairly vague extremes (what type of affliction? persecution? Family troubles? unmet expectations? . . .) and having the answer of both extremes be to tell it to God really tells us that anywhere in between has the same answer too.

How about you? Are you afflicted this morning? Are you merry? Are you somewhere in between? James tells us you can talk to God about it - He wants to hear what's on your heart. If you can't find the words to say, dive into the psalms! If you're feeling it, David wrote a poem about it to help bring your attention back to God and express it to Him.

What a friend we have in Jesus, 

all our sins and griefs to bear! 

What a privilege to carry 

everything to God in prayer! 

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear, 

all because we do not carry 

everything to God in prayer. 

Have we trials and temptations? 

Is there trouble anywhere? 

We should never be discouraged; 

take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Can we find a friend so faithful 

who will all our sorrows share? 

Jesus knows our every weakness; 

take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Are we weak and heavy laden, 

cumbered with a load of care? 

Precious Savior, still our refuge; 

take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? 

Take it to the Lord in prayer! 

In his arms he'll take and shield thee; 

thou wilt find a solace there.

Until next time, keep looking up!