Meditation on "The Lord Laughs"

This month, our meditation has been excerpted from the book entitled, Bound to Be Free compiled by Jan Pit. In the following short quotation from Sister Chen (a pillar of God's house in the vast land of China), there is fodder for reflection and perhaps application:

The One enthroned in heaven laughs (Psalm 2:4)

The kings of the world who oppose the Lord plot in vain (Psalm 2:1).  The Lord laughs at them (Psalm 2:4).

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod wanted to kill Him, but in vain.  The priests also tried to kill Him.  It seemed as though they succeeded, when Christ was crucified and buried.  But Christ rose from the dead.

During the time of the apostles, the Church in Jerusalem experienced tremendous persecution in Jerusalem.  The believers were scattered all over the place.  The enemy thought he had immobilized the Church.  On the contrary.  'Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went' (Acts 8:4).  That's how the Gospel was spread to the Gentiles.

People are still plotting against God.  They want to get rid of the Church.  They persecute believers, burn their Bibles, arrest their pastors, close their churches.  All--in vain.

The Lord is building (and keeping) His Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

He who sits in heaven laughs.  Let's join our great, almighty God in holy laughter.  In full confidence that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion, in your life today, despite all circumstances.

A moment of introspection:  I remember a sketch someone had drawn--of Christ laughing.  There seem, today, to be a number of these images floating around.  But I struggle a bit, with the image of Jesus Christ laughing, when I consider God laughing in derision at the presumptuousness and arrogance of earthly kings who conspire against Him.  He scoffs at His opposers; He rebukes them; He terrifies them... according to Psalm 2.  The Lord "laughs" at people plotting against Him, persecuting His Church, thinking vainly that they might stand in His way.  We are the Church who are persecuted around the world; our Bibles are burned, pastors arrested, churches closed and razed.  And 'the Lord laughs".  Somehow we trust Him to care for our plight, within that laughter.  Somehow, our faith endures and we realize our inestimable worth to God.  What part do we play, then, in His laughter?  What victory do we have as His Church, in the final analysis?  There is a clue in the word, "endure".  Let us look to Christ for our example.  Hebrews 12:2-3 bids, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Jesus showed us the way; He endured and, in so doing, joined God's laughter.  We, too, may join in God's laughter.  

How?  Let's see from God's Word.  1 Corinthians 4:12 "We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;".  2 Timothy 2:12 encourages us:  "if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us".  Again and again in the New Testament, Christians are exhorted to endure, and the rewards of endurance are given.  As we join God in holy laughter, let us indeed be confident--finding our confidence in Him and in His sovereign love and power.  He will truly carry our commitment to Him on to its completion.  In our lives today, may He reign--despite all circumstances.  And may we join in His holy laughter by our endurance in the Christian faith, in the face of expected opposition and developing persecution.