Get Together #263

Laugh with God Not At God


Ge 21:6 And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.".(NKJV)

I like to laugh. As I read the scriptures I notice that there are some times that it is good to laugh, and that there are some times that is not so good to laugh. And I must admit before I came to Christ I used to laugh at some perverted things. The Scriptures tell us that there is Ec 3:4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance.

In the 18th Chapter of Genesis God made Abraham a promise that Sarah would have a son in her old age. Sarah was listening in and she begins to laugh at God. It is better to laugh with God than laugh at God. Then in our passage above we see that God was faithful to His promise and gave Abraham and Sarah a son

Isaac. Now God makes Sarah laugh. What a joy it is when God makes you laugh. When God makes you laugh you don’t have to laugh at vulgarity. You don’t have to laugh at people through racial jokes that actually mock God. When God makes you laugh there is great joy and there is great peace.

Last Wednesday night God must have known that we needed a good laugh. He used one of our young kids to do it. I was teaching a lesson to the children on Baptism. I was modeling to the children from this passage about Baptism Ro 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (NKJV)

I had one kid in my arms doing a dry run of Baptism by immersion. As I lowered him down holding him in my arms within a foot of the rest of the kids who were intensely looking on (they were from about 5-8 years old ) I shifted into a preaching mode. I told them about us dying to that old selfish life when we come to Christ. I shared with them that when we come up out of the water it is symbolic of a new life that we have made a commitment to live. I then began to tell them everything that I knew about Baptism. I was really getting fired up as I talked about how the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in our lives when we come to Christ.

One young man about seven years old kept raising his hand. You know how a child will raise that hand and look like they are going to explode from the inside out if you don’t stop and answer the question. I immediately began to anticipate what his question about Baptism was going to be. I know that sometimes this can be a toughie for people to talk about. I kept saying just a minute son as I went on and on telling them everything that I knew about Baptism. Finally I said O.K. son what is your question. He replied “Brother Preston you are spitting in my face”.

Well after I decided that there was no way that I could find Scriptural support for baptizing by spitting in someone’s face I joined with the rest of the group and we had a great big laugh. I am glad that God has a sense of humor. I am glad that sometimes He will intervene through a child and say take a load off. The Scriptures tell us that God laughs at His enemies. Ps 2:4 “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.”

I am thankful that as friends of God that we can laugh at God’s enemies as well. Through Christ death on the cross He has defeated our enemies. We can look to the future in a glorious way1Co 15:26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. Hey, that is something that all of us who have been born again through the shed blood of Jesus Christ can laugh about.



Let Us Pray



Father we thank You that You know our every need. You know when we need to laugh. You know when we need to cry. Today Lord I pray for those reading that You will give them times of Holy laughter and give all of these the assurance through Jesus Christ that we can look at the future and laugh with joy knowing that You hold our future in Your hands.



In Jesus Name

Amen