Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 31, 2018
He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21
Laughter is from the Lord. It is His medicine for the mind and therapy for the soul. The Lord laughs because He is the dispenser of laughter. You cannot give what you do not have, and He has plenty to laugh about. Just as an engaged parent intently observes his children, so God sees antics and behaviors that are hilarious. The Lord must laugh when He sees one of His children smile and do something silly, harmless, and lighthearted. Indeed, He knows laughter is one way to get us through life’s intense moments. God is not so serious that he cannot smile and laugh.
How could Jesus have been 100% human if He hadn’t experienced an old-fashioned belly laugh? Just hanging out with impetuous Peter would be reason enough to giggle under your breath, or even burst into raucous, roaring laughter. Indeed, God has a sense of humor. You don’t have to look beyond the mirror to verify this fact. His joy and laughter are a refreshing combination. In a day when proud piety has frowned on laughter, God still laughs. He laughs, and so do you, for you were created in His image. It is no laughing matter to think that God does not laugh. A world without laughter would be like a joke without a punch line, so look to the Lord of laugher and smile; He does.
“So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure” (Genesis 18:12)?
God has given you permission to laugh. In fact, He has put joy in your heart and laughter on your lips for a purpose. When you laugh, you relax. When you laugh, the cares of this world shrink and the Lord looms larger. When you laugh, you learn to enjoy life and the Lord himself. When you laugh, you look like the Lord. Laugh loudly and laugh often. Moreover, generosity will fuel your laughter. It is cheerful giving that brings joy to the soul (2 Corinthians 9:7). Generosity ignites joy and laughter. No wonder the greedy frown and fret; there is no freedom to let loose and laugh. Laughless living is for losers. They are bound up in boring behavior. If you are too serious to laugh, you are too serious.
Seriously, you can be too serious for your own good. You may be more serious than God. Instead, throw back your head and begin by laughing at yourself. Take yourself less seriously and God more seriously. A good laugh lends itself to longer and better living. A scowling face seems to rush quicker to the grave. Lean on the Lord for your laughter, and make His joy your strength.
Laughter infuses your faith with mercy and hope. You are not a naïve laughing fool, but a joyful follower of Christ. Take time each day to laugh at yourself and to laugh with others. Recognize laughter as the Lord’s way of leveraging a balanced and healthy life. Life without laughter is dull and mundane. Therefore, choose to lift up others and yourself with a good laugh. There is a time to laugh, so do it often and do it well. The Lord may be laughing right now. He certainly is smiling.
“A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise you with thanksgiving for Your joy is my strength, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What area of my life do I need to take less seriously and take the Lord more seriously?
Related Reading
Genesis 21:6; Job 8:21; Psalm 37:13, 126:2; Proverbs 14:13; Luke 7:34
Post/Tweet today
Take yourself less seriously and God more seriously. #wisdomhunters #laugh
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7-minute music video- Josh Baldwin:
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