Laughter - What's In It for Me?

“Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone

who hears about this will laugh with me.’”

Genesis 21:6 (NIV)

As a nurse, I am here to tell you that laughter is good medicine. The idea is not new. It actually was God’s idea. It’s a part of His personality. In Psalms 2:4 we are told “The One enthroned in heaven laughs.”

Now in that particular Scripture God wasn’t laughing because the situation taking place was funny but He was laughing. We are made in His image so we can be very certain He created laughter as part of our personalities.

There are several accounts in the Bible of people laughing. When God revealed to Abraham that he was going to be a father and have a son, we are told in Genesis 17:17 that “Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’” 

Read on in Chapter 18:10 and 11: “Then the Lord said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.’” Scripture tells us that Sarah was listening to this conversation and could not contain her laughter as well.

Honestly, we can pretty much figure out why Abraham was laughing: he knew that Viagra hadn’t been invented yet. But I am quite certain that Sarah’s laugh bordered on hysteria. Bottles and diapers and up all night at 90 years of age? No way! Can I get a collective “AMEN,” Sisters?

But because the Lord is faithful, Sarah became pregnant as He had promised and gave birth to a son and named him Isaac, which means “he laughs.”

California’s Loma Linda University published research regarding laughter. The studies show that there are very positive effects on our immune system when we laugh.

They observed that laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases the ability of our muscles to flex and boosts immune function by raising levels of white blood cells which fight infection and disease in the body.

Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins (brain chemicals) which are the body’s natural painkillers. And if that weren’t enough, laughter produces a sense of well-being in our bodies. God absolutely knew what He was doing when he created laughter in us.

And, did you know that up to 80 muscles are used during a big laugh? A German professor found in his studies that a ONE MINUTE hearty laugh has the same health benefits as a 45 minute gym workout!! That’s because laughing provides a workout for the diaphragm and increases the body’s ability to use oxygen. (Stop and time a one minute belly laugh and your daily workout is done!)

So is laughter good medicine for us? Absolutely. Yes, there will be times in our lives, as it says in Proverbs 14:13, where “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.” But laughter can often put a whole new outlook on tough situations.

Think about events that have happened in your life that made you laugh out loud. How did you feel after you laughed? Sad? Discouraged? Angry? Resentful? Or did you feel like you just got an energy boost from the Lord?

I encourage you this week, whatever you may face, to remember that God’s gift of laughter is soothing and healing and it is indeed the very best kind of medicine there is.

Father, there are so many times when I am quick to become angry or frustrated or discouraged when I should take a breath and simply laugh. You created laughter for my benefit. Please help me to remember that every day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Make a list of every situation or disappointment or frustration that has come your way this last week.

• Could any of those situations have had a more positive outcome if you had simply stopped, taken a deep breath, and laughed at what was happening?

Application

• Memorize Psalm 126:2 this week and speak it whenever a situation occurs and you are tempted to react with anger.

• Stand in front of your mirror with a stop watch, think of something funny that has happened, and laugh for one minute. Workout complete!

Power Verses

• Genesis 21:6 (NIV) “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’”

• Psalm 126:2 (NIV) “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

• Psalm 2:4 (NIV) “The One enthroned in heaven laughs…”

My Hiding Place

“You are my hiding place; you will protect

me from trouble and surround me

with songs of deliverance.”

Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

 “Come find us, Grandma! Bet you can’t find us!” the voices giggled and then were immediately silent. I stood at the back door of my daughter’s house and looked around the yard.

Not in the playhouse. Not behind the shed. No one in the loft of the swing set. I scanned once more and then I saw it: a small chunk of dirt at the top of the huge dirt pile that my son-in-law had deposited by the fence was evidently knocked lose by an unseen force and tumbled to the ground.

I pulled back the green lid from the sandbox that had been pulled over the dirt pile to find a rather large hole and two dirty little faces grinning at me. “How do you like our hiding place?” they asked me together. “I love it!” I replied. “Tell me how you did it.”

 Ella and Jude explained that they had used two small buckets and a shovel to dig a hole wide enough for them both to fit in and then pulled the lid to their sandbox up the side of the “mountain” to cover the hole.

“You know why we did that? It’s ‘cause of that crazy dog that keeps coming around. We know we can hide in there and we are safe from that dog!” explained Ella. “And bad guys! Don’t forget the bad guys!” Jude chimed in. “They can’t find us in our hiding place!”

I love Psalm 32:7. The Lord is my hiding place. I know without a doubt that I am safe with Him and that He will protect me. He delivers me from “crazy dogs” and “bad guys” every single day of my life.

What is your hiding place? Where do you take refuge when the tough times slam into your life? Some will hide in their careers or their wealth; others will choose drugs, including alcohol. Still others will hide behind an outward appearance of indifference to whatever is going on around them.

These hiding places may seem to help for a while but they are just temporary and will only protect from the “dogs” and “bad guys” for a short time.

On the other hand, a permanent hiding place, with the Creator of the Universe, will provide a refuge for us to heal, receive His mercy, and be strengthened for what lies ahead.

Don Moen wrote a song based on Psalm 32:7 that begins this way: “You are my hiding place. I run to You. I need Your mercy and grace to see me through. So I run to You.”

Where is your hiding place?

Lord, I long to hide in you when everything around me seems to be falling apart. Thank You for keeping me in the shelter of your wings and covering me with your love. Today I truly run to you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• When situations come up that are difficult, where or who do you turn to first?

• Is that refuge temporary or permanent?

Application

• Memorize Psalm 32:7 and sing it as praise to the Lord.

• Journal Scriptures that talk about the hiding place that the Lord has offered to you each and every day.

Power Verses

• Psalm 32:7 (NIV) “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

• Psalm 31:19 (NIV) “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

• Psalm 31:2 (NIV) “Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”

• Psalm 17:8 (NIV) “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”

• Psalm 57:1 (NIV) “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”

Did You Forget Me?

“But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.’

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the child

she has borne? Though she may

forget, I will not forget you!”

Isaiah 49:14-15 (NIV)

“I’m late! I’m late!” I yelled at myself. All I could think of was my little boy getting off the school bus and me not being there to hug him and welcome him home!

I was chatting with the ladies at a local church after I had spoken at their meeting when I realized that I had stayed too long and was not going to be home to meet my son as he got off the bus. I always met him at the back door – except today.

I quickly buckled his sisters in their car seats and drove the speed limit (well, maybe a little over) in an attempt to get there before the school bus did. I failed.

My eyes filled with tears as I turned the corner at my home and saw my little boy sitting on the swing set, holding tightly to his lunch box as if he could somehow gain strength and courage from it. I jumped out of the car, pulled him into my arms and wiped the tears running down his face.

He looked up at me and only spoke four words: “Did you forget me?” but the way he whispered them – as if he was hurt beyond belief that I would ever do such a thing – broke my heart.

            “Did you forget me?” Have you asked God that question? You’ve been in a situation that has threatened to drown you day after day, month after month – maybe even year after year. And your heart wonders . . . just maybe.

Perhaps you’ve prayed for a prodigal child for years and he or she continues to run from a relationship with the Lord and with you. Or you listened to your doctor share with you that the cancer is back. Maybe it seems like the harder you pray the more distant your spouse seems to be. “Did you forget me, God?” your heart cries.

The Scripture in Isaiah 49:14-15 answers that question emphatically: “I will not forget you!” The Lord is encouraging His people who are going to be in captivity to remember that, no matter what, He has not forgotten them. God knows exactly where they are and what they are facing and, for the moment, He in His wisdom is allowing the situation to happen.

God also knows exactly what is going on in our lives, no matter what we are facing. And He hasn’t forgotten us either. Simply put, He says that a mother could never forget her newborn child and her love for its life. But, even if she did forget, He – God – will never forget us, His children.

Hold on to that promise today, knowing that no matter what storm you are in or crisis you are battling, the Lord is at your side. He has not forgotten you and He is faithful.  

Father, thank you for your reassurance in your word that you will never forget me and always stay by my side. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever felt like God has forgotten about you and what is going on in your life?

Application

• Journal God’s promise from today’s Scripture: “I will not forget you!” During your prayer time each day, speak this truth to the Lord: “I KNOW you have not forgotten me. Give me strength and hope for this day.”

Power Verses

• Isaiah 49:14-15 (NIV) “But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”

• Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) “. . . God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

• Psalm 139: (NIV) “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

Praying With Disappointment

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

                  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

                I have a love/hate relationship with my IPhone. Being able to contact anyone, any time, is a great feature – unless I am in the middle of quiet time and get one call after the other.

And as a person who is directionally challenged in small closets and bathrooms, I love that my phone can direct me to my exact destination – unless I miss my turn and have to listen to a very irritated voice spitting out “recalculating, recalculating.”

But my love/hate of my IPhone is the most obvious when I use my voice to text a message. How wonderful that I can touch one little spot on my phone – a mic – and I can talk my message rather than trying to type what I want to say. That is, until my phone decides to interpret my voice conversation on its own. Let me explain.

                I call my sister at 7 am every morning, almost without fail. We both have busy schedules and it makes sense to call before the day gets crazy for either of us. One particular morning I was running late and decided to hit the mic button and send her a text by voice.

                What I said was “Getting ready for dentist appointment. Will call in a bit.” But what my phone picked up when I spoke was “Getting ready for disappointment. Will fall in a pit.” Mercy.

                Fortunately I glanced down just before I hit the send button and corrected my message. But later, as I recalled that text, I thought about my prayer life and wondered if that is exactly how I pray sometimes.

Getting myself ready for disappointment by not believing that God will answer as I have prayed. Hoping He will answer; wondering if I said just the right words in just the right way. Maybe even feeling deep inside that what I am asking is too hard for God or that He really doesn’t care one way or the other.

                Have you ever done that? No, you say? What about praying that the cancer will disappear but thinking “It’s spread too much. There’s no way my husband can be healed.” or praying for a prodigal child while thinking “she is too far gone. Nothing will ever change her mind.”

                May I just remind you who you are talking to when you pray? The Creator of Heaven and Earth, the God of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End, Jehovah, Lord, The Most High God.

                He gave up everything He owned to purchase us, His children He loves more than anything in all creation. And we wonder if He can or will answer our prayers?

                Our Father raised the dead, parted seas, gave sight to the blind, caused those who could not walk to run, closed the mouths of lions and opened prison doors. He is very capable of hearing and answering our prayers.

                It comes down to this: pray with confidence. Pray with assurance that He hears and answers. Your words do not need to be fancy because He is faithful to His children. Will you always get the answer that YOU want? No because the wisdom of the Lord covers everything in our lives. That is where trust comes in. Trust that the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of our beating hearts, knows what is best for us in our lives

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                So the next time you pray, resist the urge to pray with disappointment; instead approach the God of the Universe with boldness and confidence. He hears, He understands and He answers.

Father, forgive me for praying but not believing that you can or will answer when I call on your name. You are a faithful Father and I love you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.      

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Have you ever prayed but felt like your prayer was not heard or would not be answered?

Application

·         Write today’s Power Verses on note cards and keep them paper clipped together in your Bible.

·         Before your prayer time each day, read the Scripture on each card and praise the Lord for hearing and answering your prayer requests.    

Power Verses

·         James 1:6 (NIV) “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

·          Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

·         Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

·         Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

·         Ephesians 7:24 (NIV) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

               

Engraving God's Recipe

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared

to give an answer to everyone who asks you to

give the reason for the hope that you have. But

do this with gentleness and respect…”

I Peter 3:15 (NIV)

My mother-in-law was a wonderful cook. She gave me several of her favorite recipes years ago and they became my favorites, too.

One that I particularly love is called K-bars. But I have learned through several failures that the recipe must be followed precisely or the results will not be even close to the promised picture.

I have gotten so many requests through the years on this particular dessert that I have memorized the recipe beginning to end. That way whenever someone tastes it and asks for the recipe, I already have it memorized and can easily share how to make it.

If only this were true in our spiritual lives, my friends. We need to have Scripture so engraved in our hearts that when someone is struggling with a situation in her life, we can immediately, from memory, share encouragement and hope with her.

That is not to say that we should simply quote a Scripture to the hurting and go on our way thinking the problem is solved! We need to share, in love, what has helped us hold on when the winds and hail from one of life’s storms have threatened to knock us down and keep us from getting up again.

For example, a friend comes to you because she is convicted that she has a problem with gossip. Can you tell her “I find help with that in Psalm 19:14. It says “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” or do you say “I have trouble with that, too.” and stop there?

When a co-worker confides that she is not certain that God even knows who she is or cares about her, can you hug her and whisper “Our Father loves us so much that he has engraved our names on the palms of His hands.” and share Isaiah 49:16 with her or do you shrug and say “Me, too.” without going any further?

Please hear me on this: I am not saying that we should have every single Scripture memorized chapter and verse. There have been many times when friends and I have looked through God’s Word, searching for a specific thought and unsure exactly where it was found.

What I AM saying is that we should always be ready to gently and lovingly share the hope that we have because of the Word that is engraved on our hearts.

A recipe for K-bars is memorized for future reference but how much more important that God’s recipe for hope and encouragement is engraved on my heart to share with those who are hurting and need hope.

Father, help me to memorize your Word so that I can help others when they are struggling with a concern and need your encouragement. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

                                                            R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you ever feel inadequate when someone shares a concern or problem with you?

• What is your first response when this happens? Do you search the Word?

Application

• Make a list of situations and problems that any one of us could face in this life.

• Beside each entry, write a Scripture that encourages and then memorize that Scripture so you can share it as needed.

Power Verses

• I Peter 3:15 (NIV) “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

• Matthew 22:29 (NIV) “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.’”

• Proverbs 25:11 (NIV) “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

The Trap

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,

and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

Luke 9:25 (NIV)

An article detailing a unique way to capture monkeys alive and unharmed in the jungle to deliver to zoos captured my attention. Trappers had tried a number of different devices, including nets. But their concern that the small animals could be hurt if they became entangled in the webbing resulted in a clever solution.

Trappers built several small boxes and inside each one placed a banana. Each box was nailed shut but not before a hole was drilled on one side, just large enough for a monkey to reach in with its hand. The boxes were left on the ground around trees.

The monkeys quickly converged to examine the boxes. Finding a banana in each one, they immediately reached in to pull it out. They tugged and pulled on the banana but it wouldn’t budge. The opening was just big enough for a little hand to reach in but not for a little hand clinging tightly to a banana to come out.

  

As soon as the trappers returned, the monkeys immediately tried to flee but could not. The reason? They would not let go of the bananas! They would scream and screech and twist and pull as they attempted to escape. All they had to do was let go of the banana…. but they refused to and were captured.

I see myself in that article. That box represents this world that we live in. And while it is not a banana that I want to hold on to with all my strength it’s much worse: it is a hunger for happiness.

Happiness that I think I will only have if I am wealthy or have a bigger home or newer car or maybe even a more important career. It’s power and prestige and prominence in the community. THAT’S what will make me happy I shout!

And all the while Jesus is calling to me “Let go. It is nothing compared to what I have to offer you. It’s a trap!” but I keep holding on and pulling and tugging as I convince myself that happiness exists when I have a firm grip on all those earthly things.

Consider this: if the trappers did not come back and the monkey continued to hold on to the banana, he would soon find that it would begin to spoil and rot and would not be anything that he would even consider eating. That is, unless he is eaten by the wild animals around him as he holds on to nothing. So it is with me and my grip on all the empty promises of this world

Holding on to the temporary as if it is priceless will never have a good outcome. Just as there is a part of us that wants to yell “Let go of the banana!” after reading the article, even more so the Lord is prompting us to let go of the fake possessions here on earth and focus on the priceless treasures He has prepared for us in heaven.

Father, forgive me for focusing on the temporary things of this world instead of what you are offering me: life for eternity with you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• What are you holding on to in your life because you consider it to be important to   your happiness?

• How does it compare to what Jesus is offering you?

Application

• Make a list of everything in this world that you consider most important in your life.

• Next to each entry, journal what Jesus offers you instead and a Scripture that speaks to His offer.

Power Verses

• Luke 9:25 (NIV) “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

• I John 2:15 (NIV) “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

• Colossians 3:2 (NIV) “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”

• Matthew 6:33 (NIV) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

• Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NIV) “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

How Will You Be Remembered?

“I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the

world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Matthew 26:13 (NIV)

The question asked by the man on the phone late one evening caught me off guard: “Is LeRoy there?” he asked. “What? What?” I repeated haltingly. The caller must have thought I didn’t hear because he repeated his question more slowly and loudly: “I said is . . . Le . . . Roy . . . there?”

My husband had passed away 5 years earlier and, except for the occasional junk mail addressed to him, the references had ceased.

After the man explained that he wanted to buy a coon dog, I took a deep breath and told him that LeRoy had passed away. He quickly gave his condolences and hung up but his question remained with me: “Is LeRoy there?”

Yes. Yes he is. He is here. He is here in the mannerisms and quiet strength of his son. He is here in the hazel eyes of his oldest daughter. He is here in the smile of his younger daughter.

He lives on in the giggles of grandchildren who were babies when he passed away and do not have clear memories of him but still beg again and again “Tell me how Papa LeRoy lifted me up in the air!” to “Papa LeRoy loved coon hunting, didn’t he. What was his dog’s name?” to “How come Papa had a mustache?”

He will live on because we choose to share memories of a man who was crazy mad in love with his children and grandchildren and his wife and who considered every day a gift and a blessing.

Those are precious memories, yes. But, more than anything else, his memory will live on and he will not be forgotten because he shared the Lord he loved with fellow coon hunters, with co-workers, and with his family.

In Matthew 26:13 we read of a woman who, according to Jesus, would never be forgotten. She did something that the disciples thought was ridiculous. This woman, named Mary, brought an alabaster jar of expensive perfume to the home where Jesus and the disciples were and began to pour it on Jesus’ feet and wipe them with her hair

.

While the disciples considered it to be an expensive waste, Jesus replied that she would be remembered for this act of love because what she had done would be told over and over throughout the world. She had given everything she had of earthly value to her Lord by showing where her treasure belonged.

Can I just ask you this? What legacy are you leaving behind? How will you be remembered? “He was a great athlete” or “She loved to garden” or “He was a successful businessman” are all nice accomplishments and compliments.

But more than anything, we want to be remembered as a Christ follower who shared the One we loved with everyone around us. That is the memory that is most important.

So is LeRoy here? Yes. Yes, he is . . . for years to come.   

R.A.P. it up . . .

Father, I want to be remembered as someone who loved you more than anything on this earth and desired to share you every day. Please give me opportunities to share you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

Reflect

·         What memories of your life will be left for those who knew you?

·         What do you want people to remember about you years from now?

Application

·         Journal a mini-version of your conversations for one week. How many times did you mention Jesus and what He has done for you?

·         Ask the Lord to give you boldness to share Him with those you meet every day.

Power Verses

·         Matthew 26:13 (NIV) “I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

·         Philippians 1:3 (NIV) “I thank my God every time I remember you.”

·         Romans 1:8 (NIV) “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”

·         Psalm 78:4 (NIV) “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done.”

·         Psalm 145:4 (NIV) “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.”