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FILLED WITH LAUGHTER (PSALM 126:1-6) LENT DAY 13

REFLECTION

Filled with laughter is the theme for our reflection. Filled with laughter means experiencing joy or happiness after a period of agony or suffering. Psalm 126 is believed to be written after the Lord delivered the Israelites from captivity in Babylon. They prayed for liberation and restoration. The Lord heard their plea for mercy and He restored them to their former glorious days, He transformed their situation from sorrow to joy and tears to laughter, the Psalmist exclaimed “When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126: 1-6)

Dear friend, be rest assured that no condition is permanent, our trust or faith in the Lord transforms our condition from pain to joy or from cry to laughter. There are countless examples of people who experienced restoration or transformation immediately after they met Jesus Christ, our Saviour who was sent by God to liberate us from sin and from the captivity of Satan and to restore us into God’s gracious and merciful hands. When Jesus is in the boat with us we shall smile at the storm. Those who sow the seed of repentance shall reap the fruit of forgiveness, liberation and restoration in the Lord.

My dear friend in the Lord, the fact that you are in the Lord or you are a faithful believer does not mean you will not encounter challenges in your life. Remember, the tests we face in life give us an opportunity to give testimonies about God’s faithfulness and glory in our lives. Like the Israelites, you may have been calling on God in your Babylon, which is your current situation of hardship, frustration and captivity, the assurance we have is that “…those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Roman 8:28). Because we have been called according to His purpose, He will not leave us in our distress condition or state of frustrations, He will change our tears to laughter. By the grace of God that business will surely revive again, you will receive your healing from that painful sickness, the promotion you have been waiting for will surely come, that wedding will happen to the glory of God, your son or daughter will graduate and the unemployed will surely be employed, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14) After many years of childlessness, God proved to Abraham and Sarah that absolutely nothing is too hard for the Lord. He will change your cry to laughter if only you trust, obey and wait on Him for His appointed time of liberation and restoration. For “… they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Whether we are responsible for our suffering or not, we have a prayer-answering and merciful God who listens to our cry for deliverance, liberation and restoration. Let us draw near to the Lord in the lent season through genuine repentance, prayer, meditation upon His Word and a sincere acknowledgement of His sovereignty over our lives. Let us surrender our lives fully into His hands and in His own appointed time and He will fill our mouths with laughter and our hearts with joy.

Dear friend in the Lord, we have reflected on the theme “Filled with laughter” We have discovered that sometimes we find ourselves in agony and unbearable situations but when we call on the name of the Lord in faith, He will liberate us and fill us with laughter of hope, joy, victory and salvation.

PRAYER

Almighty God, in You we put our trust and hope, for we believe You are the God of liberation and restoration, the only one who is able to change our cry to laughter. Amen.