IS ANYONE MERRY?
Friday – March 27, 2026
Video link: https://youtu.be/ING4KG4aCQQ
Greetings to all who have come to this teaching from the Bible Book of James. I will be continuing in the fifth chapter. As I have mentioned many times this is an instructional, corrective to the point Book. So, let’s go to our primary Bible text for today.
James 5:13-15 (NIV)
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
I suspect that much of this passage is familiar to many of you participating in this study of the Book of James. Today I will be continuing with the thirteenth verse but focusing on the (b) portion of the verse. The last few days and many many times over the last twenty plus years I have talked about the sin curse connection. It is immensely unpopular. Believing, confessing, and doing things contrary to the Word of God is sin. Sincerity is not an excuse for sin. Okay now let us pivot away from this extremely important topic that really has little comparison to “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” First let us look at the verse in the KJV and then break down some of the words.
James 5:13 (KJV)
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
When evaluating Scripture, one must be cognizant that language changes over time and how they thought of a certain word and how we think of it can be quite different. The word “merry” in our text may be such a word. When I think of this word “merry” I get a picture with exuberant joy not only in expression, words, but being kinetic action as well. This word is transliterated from Greek to English as euthymeō meaning of good cheer, cheerful or having the proper positive and hopeful attitude according to The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament. We see instead it is someone with a cheerful outlook, more or less neutral on the emotional scale. As I look at the word “euthymeō” from the medical standpoint I see the word “euthymia” which is a state of tranquility and well-being, or a calm steadiness of mind. The abnormal states of mind relate to bipolar disorder with disorders of mania and/or depression.
Should the Christian be euthymic? Of course they should! It is a state of tranquility, this come from walking in Bible peace. It is all based on knowledge, believing that knowledge of who we are in Him and in the Kingdom of God and who He is. We confess that knowledge and walk (do) in it. We walk in well-being in every arena of life because we have covenants of wealth and health as well as absolute protection from the curse, from our demonic enemies as we walk in obedience to the Word. Walk in obedience to the Word not the traditions of men, the doctrines of demons, nor sacred cows. Prove all things! We are well equipped to have a “calm steadiness of mind,” it is a fruit of the spirit (a disciplined mind).
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The word “temperance” in verse twenty-three means self-control. Along with all the Bible passages I have presented this week which guarantee our absolute safety in our obedience to the Truth not what we think is the truth consider the following. I am talking about having a “calm steadiness of mind,”.
Luke 10:19 (KJV)
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Do you believe this?
TAKE HOME:
- As children of God are to be of good cheer, cheerful, having a proper positive and hopeful attitude. How by knowing who we are and Whose we are, being obedient in full submission to our Heavenly Father. Not a mixture, 100% Word of God.
- We have an obligation before the Lord to be true sons, like the prototype Jesus, to discipline and control our thought lives.
- We have authority over all the power of the demons, even Satan himself, and they can by no means hurt us.
Lord willing, I will resume right here Monday. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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