Laughter in a Moment of Disbelief - Daughters of Promise - July 1

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LAUGHTER IN A MOMENT OF DISBELIEF

I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed. Genesis 17:16-17

I’m one of God’s children who is not so unlike others in His family. I have had incredible prayers answered. Some were so desperate that when He broke through with deliverance, I fell to my knees and cried out, not with tears, but with laughter. I’m pretty reserved so anyone who knows me is sitting wide-eyed right about now.

Laughter has gotten a bad rap. It does not always mean derision or unbelief as many might tell you. For me, my outburst of laughter came with words in staccato. “Oh Lord, you did it! Thank you. This is too good to be true.” I hugged Him in the air and danced, literally. If He hadn’t delivered, I would be stooped and old for my age today. My only hope was in Him. I was out of options.

How can we say what kind of laughter Abraham had when God announced the coming birth of a child in his old age? Maybe it was of the praising kind. Perhaps it celebrated a God so good, so faithful, that laughter expressed celebration.

Now, I know that the real test is not laughter that celebrates after a miracle but one that expresses faith before it happens. “Lord, I’m celebrating Your power. I know You can do this. I celebrate Your goodness even though I don’t see it yet.” I’ve had a few of those too but not half as many as I would like to tell you I’ve had. My faith has been so weak at times. What did I do instead? The opposite of laughing. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary spells them out in quite a long list; crying, moaning, sobbing, wailing, frowning, pouting, and scowling. Not that there shouldn’t be tears in God’s waiting room. There should. But there should always be the presence of joyful confidence in a God who can, and will, break through the dark clouds.

Today is a day to remember. I celebrate You with a joyous spirit. Amen.

For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org

For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org

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Originally published Thursday, 01 July 2021.

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