Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – August 11, 2019
Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:6
God makes you laugh because of the incredible way He provides and answers prayer. You laugh out loud when you have a child, especially when the little one is unexpected. You laugh when you land a job or deal that was totally unexpected. You laugh when the Lord loves you beyond your wildest dreams. Because of His extraordinary provision, your joy and thanksgiving turn into laughter. It is a respectful and grateful laughter to the Lord. Smiles are the refreshing fruit of laughter. He makes you laugh because He has a sense of humor. Heaven is not humorless; it’s full of joy and laughing out loud. The Lord laughs with you and at you. He gives you laughter to remind you of His sense of humor. He gives you laughter to unleash joy and enable you to relax in Him.
God is in control, and you have His permission to laugh. It is tragic when there is failure to receive heaven’s humor. It is a false belief that a smile is not spiritual; piety produces joy. God has a sense of humor, and to walk with the Lord means to laugh with the Lord. Think about the last time Jesus surprised you with joy. Reminisce on those prayers that seemed almost irresponsible, yet He answered them in the most unlikely way; He smiled and said yes. Did you take the time to laugh out loud with the Lord? Awe and laughter are not mutually exclusive; they go together.
Celebrate God’s sense of humor with others. Do not hold back your laughter with those you love and respect. Laughter is relational lubricant. It is an elixir for evangelism and discipleship. It is a marinade for mentoring. No one wants to be around laugh-less company. Don’t wait only for special occasions like weddings and birthdays to laugh. Laugh in between those times. Laugh daily with others. Laugh out loud. It may be at a child’s performance at school or a church play. Laugh with them at their risk of being vulnerable and expressive. Laugh when things don’t go just as planned at work and home. Laughter links people to the Lord and each other. Laughter keeps you from taking life and yourself too seriously.
Certainly there are issues that are no laughing matters. Be sensitive to not laugh at someone’s pain but do not discount your ability to make others laugh. Your laughter gives others permission to laugh. Laugh at yourself; Laugh at your quirks; Laugh at your accent; Laugh at your life. Laughter is contagious. Laughter with another is love. You love someone when you laugh together. Christ gives laughter as solace for your soul. You miss experiencing an important part of Christ’s character when you choose not to laugh. Let go and laugh. Let go of anger and laugh. Let go of hurt and disappointment, false humility and pride, and laugh, for He has done great things.
The Bible says, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them’” (Psalm 126:2).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to laugh more, to take myself less seriously and you more seriously, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
How can I make sure to have one good belly laugh everyday?
Related Reading
Ecclesiastes 3:4; Job 8:21; Psalm 2:4, 12:2; Proverbs 31:25; 2 John 1:12
Today’s reading is taken from Boyd’s most popular 365 day devotional book Seeking Daily the Heart of God
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