And God Laughed …

“He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” Job 8:21 NLT

Did Jesus laugh? Funny you should ask ….. I think He laughed. I’m sure some people believe laughter is just silliness and not of God. I, on the other hand, believe very much in laughter, including coming from the Holy Spirit.

Most of us enjoy a good laugh. All people find it hard to resist laughter when one person laughs. It becomes contagious until most others are laughing also. It feels good to laugh! It feels like a recharge to me.

Does God laugh? Did Jesus laugh when He was on earth? The Bible says we are made in the image of God. We know that our range of emotions are the same as God’s. He may have experienced them on a different level but we all have the same emotions, including the ability to laugh. So, I believe He laughed while He was on earth.

The few times in the Bible where I found God laughed were Him laughing and then scoffing who He was laughing at as if to say their thoughts were absurd. “The wicked plot against the Godly; they snarl at them in defiance but the Lord just laughs.” Psalm 37:12-13 God’s laughter reminds enemies they think they are winning but He will overcome them in the end. But, there are also scriptures just saying He laughs. I believe at times that Jesus enjoys a good laugh as God does now looking down on us.

Years back, I was feeling burned out as a believer. I felt I had lost all joy and contentment from my salvation. It seemed like it was more than just a “season.” I went forward at the end of church service we were visiting and asked for prayer. I didn’t tell them what my prayer was for but they prayed over me anyway. In my mind, it was that God would restore to me the joy of my salvation. I expected after they prayed that I would have a deep inner peace and contentment that I was saved-something quiet. Nothing happened. As we were leaving church, I shook the pastor’s hand and I felt a wave of power and a warmth flow through him to me through our handshake. We left church. We got in the car to drive home. Stan and Rachel were up front to teach Rachel how to drive. All of a sudden, in the back seat, I started laughing. I laughed all the way home for no apparent reason. Throughout the week, I would randomly burst out laughing. It was NEVER at a place or time where it would embarrass me or anyone else. It was when I was alone mostly. I would just sit and laugh and enjoy the joy on my Spirit. I believe that was “holy laughter.” The Holy Spirit filled me with so much joy that my expression of joy could not be put into words so,I laughed.

As in Job 8, He once again filled my mouth with laughter. He renewed the “joy” of my salvation. Joy is the inner feeling that gives us the ability to express it outward as laughter.

Yes, I believe God laughs. “He who sits in the heavens laughs.” Psalm 2:4

“God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.” Luke 6:21b NLT

Laughing is a way of communicating with your mouth without using words. There’s more joy going on than you could put into words. It’s contagious. Laughing is good. Laughing is beneficial for our bodies. It helps us let go of tension and lowers our anxiety. “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Prov. 17:22a NLT It is medicine and healing to our souls.

Have you ever noticed when you’re alone and you laugh, you feel compelled to tell someone else about it so you have someone to laugh with? Even when we’re texting and something is funny, we say “LOL!” Laughing together is fun!

I can only imagine how it would sound when God laughs out loud! I would love to hear His joyful laughter and be able to echo back His contagious laughter without restraint.

There is definitely a time to laugh! “A time to cry and a time to laugh.” Ecc. 3:4 MSG God will let you laugh again; you’ll raise the roof with shouts of joy.” Job 8:21 MSG

Cry now, you will laugh again. Cry and laugh later. God knows the weeping in pain in us now but He also knows victory is ahead and you WILL laugh again! Laughter is the echo of the vacant grave because He has won the victory!!!

From Mary Poppins:

“I love to laugh

Loud and long and clear

I love to laugh

So ev'rybody can hear

The more you laugh

The more you fill with glee

And the more the glee

The more we're a merrier we!”

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