James 5:13-15 “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
This passage is very familiar to the Apostolic movement. We place a lot of stock in God’s healing power, and we love to see the hand of God working in our lives. We’ve seen so many people healed. We’ve seen many lives changed, and people have been delivered out of hopeless situations. This passage is one of many in the Bible that tells us of the promise God has given us that we can see miracles worked through us by the power of Jesus.
But something jumped out to me one day as I was reading this. The second part of verse 13, “Is any merry? Let him sing songs.” I wondered why this would be sandwiched between prayer and prayer. Prayer for affliction on the one side, and prayer for healing on the other. So why couldn’t the part about singing be put first so that all the stuff about prayer could be clustered together? Then I realized that music must be just as important as prayer.
At any given point in time, there will be people who are afflicted and there will be people who are on the top of a mountain. There will be those lying in a hospital bed, while someone else is exclaming, “I’ve never felt better.” Each person in whatever situation they find themselves can get caught up in their own position. Those who are having a tough time can reach a point where they don’t think life is worth living anymore, while the happy person completely forgets that there are still hurting people all around. So one reason I believe that singing and praying are put together this way is that it serves as another reminder that we’re all one body, and we must help each other out. Those of us who are feeling that God has given us all that we need for now, should remember to take care of those who are afflicted. When we have come through our valley, God will often give us a new song to sing in our heart. Perhaps He gives you some amazing lyrics that become a really uplifting song. Or maybe you just have a melody in your heart. Or perhaps it’s not even a song as we think of songs, but perhaps it’s a certain feeling or a new outlook that you can express to others. Whatever the case may be, I think we should all use our songs to uplift and encourage those who may still be in the thick of what we have just came through. Having the joy, strength, and excitement from the victory God has just granted you should carry you to a place where you can help others to their victory as well.
I believe song is powerful, because first of all, words are powerful. Solomon said that life and death are in the power of the tongue. James said that it is the most unruly member of our bodies. I’m sure we all know both the building power and the destructive power of the words we speak. When we speak things by faith, we often see them happen. Words can be used to speak courage into a band of frightened troops, or to rally thousands of people to your cause. Without the ability to speak to each other, many of us would be at a great loss.
Second, music is powerful. When King Saul was being tormented, it was David’s music that calmed his soul. In the cases of Jericho and Gideon, along with other instances in Scripture, the trumpets accompanied the shouts that ushered in the victory. There was a time when Israel was greatly outnumbered. God told whoever the leader was at this time to send the musicians out first and just play songs of praise. Then God sent angels to fight the battle for them. Music is great. To me, without some background score for at least a good portion of any movie I watch, I feel that I’m missing something. Life without music would be dull.
So when you take the power of words and combine it with the power of music and you make a song, you’ve got one of the greatest forces on the planet.
So are you merry? Are you thrilled with what God is doing in your life? Let Him write a song on your heart. And sing it like there’s no tomorrow. Are you hurting? Do you feel distant from God, like maybe He forgot about you? You can sing too. It’ll calm your nerves and soothe your soul. And surround yourself with others who are singing, so you can get the most strength to keep going.
You are absolutely right, Eric. Music is something that people, happy or stressed, can relate to. The book of Psalms is filled with songs of praise and lament. The psalms gives us examples of people who were going through trials and triumph just like us.
And let us not forget Psalm 96:1. It says, “O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.” It says “sing unto the Lord a new song.” I believe God has given each one of us a song that is personal that we can sing. It doesn’t have to be meant for anybody else but yourself. It is a song that you can sing for joy in the good times and help you through the bad times. It is a song that you can sing in your prayer time, when you work, or when you relax. God has given you a song that was made for you; sing your song for Jesus.
Very good observation!
You made a lot of good points Eric. So did you Kirk.