Psalm 126:2-3 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
Hebrews 1:8-9 "But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
1 Peter 1:7-9 "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
As I sit here, I was thinking about how we were created in the image of God. There are numerous times in the Bible where we see emotion coming from the Lord: Love, Compassion, Anger, Sadness, Joy. Those are emotions that I can think of right now.
Since we were created in His image, then it would stand to reason that we would have emotions also. Some emotions we like - joy, happiness, compassion, they make us have a warm feeling inside. Other emotions some of us would rather not think about, but are also good in their own ways. Yes, I'm talking to myself also....
There's no real precedent in the Bible about laughing until your stomach hurts - which, by the way, is exercising your abs... :) But, the above verses say a little bit about joy. 'Mouths FILLED with laughter'; 'Being ANOINTED with the oil of joy'; 'FILLED with an INEXPRESSIBLE AND GLORIOUS joy'. Think about those words for a moment.
If something is filled it's topped off - to the brim. I'm thinking of a cup of water, any little shake could cause it to overflow.
If God anoints us with love for others or for some other task - such as healing - we become a conduit of His power. We overflow with His anointing and those whom it's directed towards benefits from the overflow.
If we are filled with and inexpressible joy, there are no words that can describe it so, it has to come out somehow, right? He also says it 'glorious' - meaning joy is surrounded by His Presence.
Now, some may argue with me saying that it's out of place in church. Granted, there are some that operate more in the flesh than in the spirit when it comes to laughter. But if we're 'in the Spirit', such as after we've prayed for people or praised and worshiped the Lord, and we're 'in the zone' of His Presence. Sometimes we just cannot contain that inexpressible joy. So, sometimes it comes out in overwhelming laughter that really cannot be stopped. Just like dancing before the Lord. It's joy overflowing!
Laughter is healing, just as crying is healing. The Word say, the 'joy of the Lord is our Strength'. It lifts us up - kind of God's way of saying 'You're going to be okay'. It brings glory to God, because we are so thankful for His joy that we offer praise back to Him.
Some go from laughter to crying, because sometimes the Lord uses laughter to open our hearts (if we're willing) and then He comes in to heal a specific area.
So next time we hear someone laughing in church (and it's not in mockery), let's not be that quick to judge... we really don't know what the Lord is doing in that person.
Oh, and watch out... it's contagious ;)
Joy Unspeakable - Todd Agnew
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