Saturday, May 30, 2020
A God of Laughter
Psalm 126: 1-3, When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.
Far too often, Jesus is portrayed as a stoic man who seemed to not smile often or at all. That seems so contrary to what I read in my Bible about a God who brings joy and causes us to laugh and praise Him. We are created in His image and I cannot imagine that a God who created us with the ability to feel joy, to smile, and to laugh, does not do so Himself. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” It seems to me that we have a God who smiles and laughs when He rejoices. At the same time, the Bible also tells us that He laughs at the wicked. In Psalm 37:12-13 we read, “The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.” During these times when it can be so easy to worry and fret, we need to stop, refocus our attention on the One who is in control. We need to get into His Word and pray without ceasing. We need to spend more time doing what we are told in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” The bottom line is that we have a God who is a just God who hates sin, and will judge it one day in a way not yet seen, outside of what was witnessed on Calvary’s Cross. God’s wrath will one day be poured out on this earth, but until that day comes, for those of us who know Jesus as our Savior, and have life eternal, let us not forget that just as He created us with emotions and the ability to smile and laugh, we have a Lord and Savior who smiles and laughs with us. I read this from Max Lucado this morning, which inspired me to write this devotional today. He wrote:
A Smiling God
“I’m not one who easily envisions a smiling God. A weeping God, yes. An angry God, okay. A might God, you bet. But a chuckling God? It seems too unlike what God should do – and be. As my vision improves and I’m able to read without my stained glasses, I’m seeing that a sense of humor is perhaps the only way God has put up with us for so long. Is that God with a smile as Moses does a double take at the burning bush that speaks? Is that a twinkle in His eye as He watches the disciples feed thousands with one boy’s lunch? Can you honestly imagine a somber Jesus bouncing children on his knee? No, I think Jesus smiled a bit at people and a lot with people. I think He was the type of Guy that people wanted to be near”
One day, Jesus is coming back to get us, His church. I cannot imagine that our reunion with the One who laid down His life for us is going to be nothing less than a grand celebration with smiles, laughter, rejoicing and singing praises! Proverbs 17:22 clearly tells us, “A merry heart does good, like medicine…” Some of us need to remind ourselves, and our faces, that it is okay to smile and laugh, even in the midst of hard times. I can say with all confidence that God will not mind, and most likely is smiling and laughing with us, as it demonstrate our faith in His ability to take care of us, our needs, and our concerns.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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