“Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”” (Genesis 17:17, ESV)
It is good to laugh. When God tells Abraham that he and his wife, Sarah, would have a son, Sarah laughs. When I have read that verse in the past, my thought was that she was laughing because the idea was so absurd that she would have a baby at such an age. But God seems to have a sense of humor. God tells Abraham and Sarah to name the child Isaac, which means “he laughs.”
I imagine that the laughter of Sarah is not to ridicule God’s promise, but the laughter of joy. Think about the times when you recently laughed. I have two moments come to mind for me:
1) I remember when my beloved Cubs finally won the World Series I could not do much other than laugh. It was good news. I was relieved the days of losing were over.
2) Earlier in the day, before I wrote this, I attended a show at our boy’s school. They sang and they danced. It was fun to watch. I caught myself chuckling a few times. The kids were so cute as they performed. It made me smile and laugh.
Laughter is uncontained joy. You have probably experienced that moment when you could not stop laughing. I think about Jimmy Fallon how he can’t stop himself from laughing during a comedy skit. It is a sign of the joy inside that keeps from coming out.
Maybe you need a good laugh today. Sometimes we get bad news and all we can do is laugh. Sometimes we need to laugh to remind ourselves of the promises of God. As bad as it may seem, God’s plan will not be thwarted.
Laugh to remind yourself of the joy we have in Jesus. Laugh to remind you that God has given you more than you could ever hope. Laugh to remind you how God is all-to-wonderful.
Finally, laugh because it’s good for you. It may not be the same as running three miles, but laughing has been shown to be a form of exercise. It seems laughing is not only good for the soul but good for the body too. It’s time to laugh a little!
Reflection
- What are two times when you recently laughed?
- How is laughter good for your soul?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of laughter. Thank you for uncontained joy. Thank you for those moments when we cannot contain ourselves. You have blessed us beyond comprehension. You are all-to-wonderful. We look forward to your eternal presence to experience full joy and laughter. Amen.
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