INTRODUCTION

We tend to think of laughter in a positive light, generally envisioning emotions like happiness or joyfulness. Yet, far too much laughter results from things opposed to God and His will. The Bible provides this same assessment. A careful study of the word laughter in the Bible demonstrates that the connotation is overwhelmingly bad. Today’s passage shows Sarah laughing in disbelief of the promises of God. Genesis 17:17Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
See All... shows that Abraham did the same when he heard the news. These were two godly people; yet, much of the laughter found in the Bible occurred when the ungodly mocked God’s people and God’s promises (Nehemiah 2:19But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
See All...). Our Saviour too was “laughed . . . to scorn” when He declared that the daughter of Jairus was not dead (Mark 5:40And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
See All...). Laughter, in and of itself, is not wicked, but the cause of one’s laughter reveals its true makeup.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): Read Psalm 22:7-8 [7] All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, [8] He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
  See All.... People laughed and made fun of Jesus while He was dying on the cross for the sins of mankind. They did not believe He was the Son of God though we know that He is and that they were wrong. Be very careful what you laugh at and why.
• (For everyone): In Ephesians 5:4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
  See All..., believers are warned about taking part in inconvenient jesting. What are some examples of inconvenient jesting? Why is it important that we do not laugh at foolish jesting?
• What makes you laugh? Are the things at which you laugh wholesome and godly? Do you laugh at things that bring hurt to others? Do you laugh at God’s people or with God’s people?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask the Lord to help you to laugh and rejoice in Him.
• Ask God to help you avoid jesting which is not convenient.

HYMN

WITH CHRIST, I SMILE AT THE STORM

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