WE WILL LAUGH AGAIN
Jesus said in Luke 6:21,
"Blessed are those who weep now, for in due time you will laugh". The
promise God makes to us is that the suffering is only a season; the weeping is
not how your story ends. You're going to laugh again. God sees what you're
going through, he knows what is not fair, the lonely nights, the pain, the
heartache, the tears and rejection by men. The scripture says, "He's
collected all of your tears" [Psa. 56:8 NLT]. You may have felt alone, but
he's been right there with you. The good news is that God is not going to leave
you in suffering, he's not going to leave you brokenhearted, weighed down with
burdens. God hears when we cry out to Him from the place of prayer.
“When I cry unto thee, then shall
mine enemies turn back: this I KNOW; for God is for me…For thou hast delivered
my soul from death: wilt not thou DELIVER my feet from falling, that I may walk
before God in the light of the living? Psalm 56:9, 13
Even in the midst of sorrow,
pain, agony, and hardship, God promises that we will laugh again. Our current
circumstances may seem overwhelming, but with God, we can experience joy,
laughter, and restoration. Believers must note that laughter is a divine
promise.
"He will yet fill your mouth
with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." Job 8:21
God promises that we will laugh
again, despite our current circumstances.
It is a surety that tears may
last for a night, but joy comes in the morning
"Weeping may stay for the
night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
Our pain and sorrow may seem
endless, but God promises that joy will come in the morning. God is not a man
that lies Numbers 23:19
From scriptures we also know that
"blessed are you now, who weep now, for you will laugh" Luke 6:21
Jesus promises that those who
mourn and weep will be blessed and will laugh again.
Believers have the assurance that
God is our restorer and He promises to restore and revive our joy, laughter, finances
and happiness. Psalm 23:3 says, "He restores my soul."
"And I will restore to you
the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and
the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you" Joel 2:25
We must hold on to hope even in
the midst of sorrow. Hope is the anchor of our soul, and it keeps us grounded
and focused on God's promises. It is the earnest expectation of what we hoped
for.
“But the God of all grace, who
hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” 1 Pet.
5:10
1 Peter 5:10 says, "After
you have suffered a little while", not your whole life, not the next 50
years, but after a little while, it goes on to say, "God himself will
strengthen you, establish you and put you back on your feet"; God will
settle us. You may be in a season of suffering, season of struggle, you feel
stuck in your health, your marriage, your finances, seems like it's never going
to get better. No, God himself is about to step in and do what only he can do.
When you see how he restores you, how he pays you back for what was unfair, how
he brings you out better, your mourning is going to be turned to dancing, your
sorrow turns to joy, that weeping to laughter. Don't believe those lies that
you'll always be lonely, you'll always mourn over that loss, always be
brokenhearted over that child. It is a lie from the pits of hell! No! Your time
of favor is coming!
The Psalmist said, "Weeping
may endure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning". Notice, weeping
may endure. "May" means it's not certain, it's questionable. But
here's the promise: JOY IS COMING. Not maybe, not hope so, it is coming. The
Most-High God says, "Joy is on the way". You are going to laugh
again. You are going to dream again. You are going to love again. You are going
to see God's blessing in such a way, that all you can do is laugh. Laugh in
amazement, laugh in gratitude, laugh in the goodness of God.
This is what happened to
Israelites. They were been living in Jerusalem when king Nebuchadnezzar came
and attack the city. He captured them all, put them in chains and took them to
Babylon. Here they were enjoying life, raising their children, going to work -
everything changed. Now they were in this season of suffering, in bondage, being
mistreated, wondering "God, where are you? Why is this happening"?
Year went by and they prayed for freedom, believed that they will be released,
but nothing happened. 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, finally they accepted it,
"Hey, this suffering is our destiny. Being mistreated, taking advantage
of, we just have to get used to it". But that is a lie from the pits of
hell.
“By the rivers of Babylon, there
we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps
upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away
captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth,
saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD'S
song in a strange land? Psalm 137:1-4
Psalm 137:1 says they went down
to the rivers in Babylon and wept, as they remembered Jerusalem. They thought
about what used to be, the joy they used to have, all they could do was weep.
The Babylonians asked them to sing the songs of Jerusalem, "Let us hear
those joyful melodies we've always heard about". The Israelites said,
"How can we sing? We're in mourning, we're captive, our hearts are too
heavy, the pain too real, the suffering too great". They hung up their
hearts on the willow trees, put away their instruments. They were in a season
of weeping. They even said, how can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land!
Weeping is not a lack of faith,
doesn't mean you're not tough enough, it means that your heart is working, it
means that you care deeply or caught up in deep emotions. One time David came
back home and saw that his city had been attacked, and all the woman and
children had been kidnapped [1 Sam. 30]. The scripture says, "He wept
until he could not weep anymore". Now, David was a warrior. He'd killed a
lion and a bear with his hands. He had defeated Goliath. He was this strong,
feared, courageous leader. But there were times he felt so overcome, so heavy
that he wept. He eventually turned to the Lord and said shall I pursue, will I
overtake, shall we recover all”. He followed God and he pursued, overtook and
recovered all. Weeping is temporary, joy is coming! His mourning was turned
into joy!
That's the way the Israelites were.
There was nothing they could do. The Babylonians were stronger, they were
slaves and the Babylonians had more people, more equipment. It looks like the
suffering, the heartache, the weeping was permanent. How could they ever break
free? But here's the key: God has already scheduled a time to end the
suffering. He has already set a time to end the heartache, to bring you out of
what has held you captive, to turn around what's causing the tears.
After the Israelites had suffered
a little while, after they've gone through that season of weeping, God himself
said, "I'm coming down to do something about it". God is not going to
let someone continue to mistreat you, to keep you at a disadvantage. No way!
God will soon show up at the nick of time!
You may not be able to do
anything about it, it's too much for you, but it's not too much for our God.
Nothing God cannot do! For with
God nothing shall be impossible! God will do beyond your wildest imagination!
Eph. 3:20!
One touch of his favor, one
release of His power, overwhelming anointing will come and things will shift,
chains will break, yokes shall be destroyed and burdens lifted off, that debts
will be paid off, that child will turn around, that addiction will be broken,
that sickness will come to an end, that poverty will cease and demonic
oppression, harassment, depression and repression will stop in Jesus Mighty
Name.
“It was like a dream come true
when you freed us from our bondage and brought us back to Zion! We “All
the nations saw it and joined in, saying, “The Lord has done great miracles for
them!” Yes, he did mighty miracles and we are overjoyed! Now, Lord, DO
IT AGAIN! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow
over us until our dry hearts are drenched again. Psa. 126:1-4 TPT
Despite the strength and the
largeness of the army of the Babylonians, the scripture [Psalm 126:1] says,
"God turn the captivity of the Israelites". God freed them. God is
about to turn some things AROUND in your life, turn problems around, turn
loneliness around, turn finances around, turn your health around, deliver you
from bondage and slavery under principalities and powers. The Israelites were
weeping. It's not like they had this great faith, nor were they super strong.
No, they were discouraged, they had accepted that the suffering, the struggle,
the hardship was their destiny. BUT God turned it around for their good!!!
“But God is faithful…” 1 Cor.
10:13
“But with God all things are
possible” Matt. 19:26
“But God was with him and rescued
him from all his troubles” Acts 7:9-10 [Joseph in Egypt]
BUT GOD is so merciful, he's not
going to let the suffering continue. You may go through seasons of weeping,
seasons of sorrow, it's not fair, you don't understand, but it's only a season,
it's not permanent, it's not going to last a lifetime. It endures only for a
while! Then God will remember you!
“But God remembered Noah…” Gen.
8:1
“And God remembered Rachel” Gen.30:22
“And Elkanah knew Hannah his
wife; and the LORD remembered her” 1 Sam. 1:19
“And the LORD visited Hannah, so
that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel
grew before the LORD” 1 Sam. 2:21
I have come to let you know God
has not forgotten you, He will rise up and help you at the dawn of the day.
Some of us are even saying … I
don't see how my situation could ever work out. With what I've been through,
with what I'm up against now, how can this affliction turn around"? You're
looking at it in the natural, but God is supernatural. He is not going to leave
you in a broken place, a wounded place, a lonely place. He wouldn't have
allowed the suffering if he wasn't going to bring you out better. That
suffering is a set up for God to show up in your life and show Himself strong.
He is turning your mourning into dancing, sorrow into joy. The greater the
adversity, the greater the joy. The greater the suffering, the greater the
blessing.
The message translation says,
"The suffering is not forever. It won't be long before our great God will
have you put together and back on your feet. He has the final say. Yes, he
does". Psalm 30:5
And you may be in a season of
struggle, but God is saying, "It won't be long before I have you back on
your feet. It won't be long that your ill health turns around; to that child in
bondage, be set free in Jesus Mighty Name! To that situation in your marriage,
be resolved now". Now, it may look like the enemy has won, like what the
Israelites said, he seem to have you in captivity, it seems permanent. The good
news is: God has the final say. He's in control not just of your life, he's in
control of your circumstances. Nothing can stand against him. When it's your
time, doors will open, freedom will come, healing will show up, the good breaks
will find you. God will show up for you! God is never late! He will be on time!
“When the LORD turned again the
captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with
laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The
LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us;
whereof we are glad” Psa. 126:1-3
The scripture says, "When
God turned the captivity of the Israelites, it was like a dream. Their mouth
was filled with laughter and their lips with songs of joy". Imagine the
Israelites back home in Jerusalem, laughing with their families, singing songs
of joy. These were the same people that earlier thought the suffering was
permanent. The same ones that were sitting by the rivers in Babylon weeping,
weeping, thinking they had seen their best days. Now they're not only free,
they're not just back home, but they're filled with laughter, their joy is overflowing.
That's the way our God is: he's
not going to just bring you out, he's going to make the enemy pay; all that you
lost will be restored! All the suffering, sadness, heartache, God's going to
pay you back with more joy. You're going to be happier than you've ever been.
You're going to laugh more than you've ever laughed. Like with them, when you
see what God does, it's going to be like a dream, you're going to be amazed at
how God restores you, re-energizes you, takes you where you never thought possible,
like a dream. The Israelites crossing the Red Sea was like a dream, more so
that their enemies the Egyptians perished in the Red Sea.
I have come to assure you that
after you have suffered a little while, God is turning things in your favor.
You will say like the Israelites: it's been like a dream, you never imagined
where God was taking you nor the possibility of a great change. But here's the
point: when you're in the suffering, in the struggle, in the mourning; you
can't see what God is about to do. Most of the time God doesn't show you what's
in store. All you can see is more like the same. But at the end of the day,
things shall turn around for your good.
The Babylon, the enemy you are
facing always seems bigger. And you will often say there's no way you can get
out. No way you can get well, no way you can get delivered, get empowered, get
a new and better job. No way you will be happy after this breakup with the
carnal brother that want to marry you. Don't let the size of the Babylonians
fool you. Don't let those seemingly bad happenings break you, what you've been
through which seem much, that convinces you that the suffering is permanent BUT
it is a lie from the pits of hell. I have been young but I am old now, I have
never seen the righteous forsaken nor their descendant begging for bread.
In just a little while, our great
God is going to show up not only turn it around, but he's going to fill your
mouth with laughter. That means no more heartache, no more suffering, no more
loneliness. God is about to do a new thing. He's saying, you’ve suffered long
enough. You put up with the trouble, the heartache, the sorrow. Those tears of
sadness are coming to an end. You're going to see tears of joy, tears of
gratitude, tears of thanksgiving. New job, good health, sound mind, and great
deliverance! You will be amazed at the goodness of God.
“Turn again our captivity, O
LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in
joy. He that goes forth and weep, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” Psalm 126:4-6
God said "You're blessed
when you weep (sow in tears), when your heart is broken, when the load seems
too heavy". You're blessed because he's about to step in and turn things
around, he's about to make up for what you've lost. He's about to pay you back
for the trouble. Those tears are painful, but God's about to fill your mouth with
laughter. When you're in those suffering seasons, those weeping seasons, those
seasons of struggle, you need to keep this promise in your spirit: I may be
weeping now, but I know joy is coming. These maybe tears of sadness, but I know
I'm going to laugh again. Say to yourself “Imay have gone forth weeping but I
will come back again with rejoicing!
“They may weep as they go out
carrying their seed to sow, but they will return with joyful laughter and
shouting with gladness as they bring back armloads of blessing and a harvest
overflowing!” Psa. 126:6 TPT
Yes, we all have times where our
hearts are heavy, we went through a loss, get bad medical report, not being
treated right on the job, can feel like a dead end, like it'll never change. Such
times we go around with heavy and sorrowful hearts but we have the assurance
that we will come back home with rejoicing.
"Those who went off with
heavy hearts will come home laughing with armloads of blessings" Psalm
126:6 MSSG
That tells me: God is going to
make the enemy pay for the trouble that they have caused you, God is going to
bring out better you, than you were before; and literally armloads of
blessings.
You may sense something heavy on
you today, like you're carrying sorrow, carrying pain, agony, afflictions and
incarceration. But God's about to do an exchange. Instead of carrying the
sorrow, how about carrying joy? Instead of carrying the hurt from the breakup,
carrying the loneliness, how about someone great walking into your life? Now
because God has turned the tide around, now you're laughing, now you're dreaming,
now you're living a victorious life. That's how good God is! You go out with a
heavy heart, and you come back laughing, loaded down with blessings, with
favor, with peace, with victory.
In the scripture Job went through
a season of suffering, there were a lot of pain and heartache. And he had done
nothing wrong. The scripture says Job was blameless, he had integrity that he
stayed away from evil. Everything was going great, then the bottom fell out.
Lost his business, lost his children, lost his health. Sometimes when it rains
it seems like the end of the earth. Thoughts will try to convince you that the
suffering is permanent, "It's too bad, it's been too long, there's no way
it could work out".
But God won't let you get in a
problem that he can't bring you out of. The enemy is not in control of your
life, God is. Satan had to ask God for permission to test Job. He didn't just
come put all this trouble on him. There's a bloodline around your life that the
enemy cannot cross without God's permission. That's why we can stay in peace
even in times of trouble. Sometimes it's simply a test: how are we going to
respond in the suffering seasons, in the seasons of struggle, when it's not
fair, we're doing the right thing, but the wrong thing has happened?
Job was so distraught that he
tore his robe in grief, and sat down among the ashes. After all the heartache,
all the loss he was overwhelmed. You can't just pray this away, have enough
faith so it doesn't affect you. It's okay to feel things. It's not a lack of
faith to say, "God, my heart is heavy. I'm grieving. I don't think I can
go on". When Jesus was on his way to be crucified, he fell down under the
weight of the cross. He couldn't carry it anymore. Here he's the Son of God,
yet in his human body he didn't have the strength. God didn't say, "What's
wrong with you, son? You need to be tougher, stronger". No, God sent a man
named Simon to carry it for him. Sometimes you can't carry the weight of what
you're under, you can't carry the pressure. That is when you need a good
Christian brother, sister or pastor to hold your hand and tell you all shall be
well.
But God knows when pressure is so
strong, the weight so heavy that you can't carry it by yourself. Job finally
got pass all the doubt, the fear, the self-pity. He looked up and said, "I
know my redeemer lives. God, even if you take my life, I'm still going to trust
you". (Job 19:25)
While Job was sitting in the
ashes, boils all over his body, going through loss and heartache, God said (Job
8:21), "I will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts
of joy". I'm sure Job thought, "God, are you kidding me? You're
telling me with all these troubles, all these headaches, all these bad breaks
that I'm going to laugh again, that I'm going to be happy, that I'm still going
to enjoy my life"? That's the promise all through the scripture: weeping
endures for a night, but joy is coming. After you've suffered a little while
God will step in and put you back on your feet… “will restore you, establish
you, strengthen you, and support or settle you” (1 Peter 5:10)
That's what happened with Job.
God not only healed him, not only restored what he lost, but he gave he gave
him twice what he had before. He came out with twice the cattle, twice the
sheep, had more the children. Like the Israelites, he went out with a heavy
heart, but he came back full of joy, with armloads of blessings. The scripture
(Job 42:16-17) says, "After this challenge, Job lived a hundred and forty
years, and enjoyed his children and grandchildren for four generations. He died
an old man, having lived a long, good life". Some scholars say that whole
trial lasted less than a year. It was not decades of his life, it was just a
season. But God will make a way of escape, so you can bear it. Also, what you
go through, is common to man, God will soon make a way of escape [1 Cor.
19:13]. Weeping may have endured for the night but joy come in the morning
[Psalm 30:5]
And all of us are going to have
some of these seasons of suffering, seasons of struggle, seasons when it's not
fair. Like Job, you'll be tempted to get bitter, blame God, give up on your
dreams. But you have to remember: God is still on the throne. The enemy didn't
take control of your life. God is yet going to fill your mouth with laughter.
He's still come to your home with armloads of blessings. Not the same way you
were, but stronger, healthier, promoted, at a new level of your destiny.
God knows how to pay you back for
the wrongs when men or demonic powers gathered against you. He knows how to
turn your sorrow into joy. You may have gone out with a heavy heart, but you
will came back laughing, with armloads of blessing. The suffering is a setup,
it's God positioning you for something greater. That's going to feel unfair,
overwhelming, "Why is this happening"? God knows what he's doing. He
may not ascend it, but he's going to use it to move you into your purpose in
life.
God told Abraham and Sarah that
they were going to have a baby, but they were both way too old, Sarah had been
barren her whole life. Back in those days if the wife didn't have children,
they were looked down on, seeing is not up to par. Sarah had this promise, but
it was so far out, she laughed in disbelief. She thought, "How could an
old woman like me have a child"? Years went by, and no sign of a baby. I
can imagine Sarah seeing other women laughing, having children, playing. She
thought, "God, why won't it happen for me"? She finally accepted that
it wasn't meant to be. But just because you give up, doesn't mean God gives up.
At 90 years, against all odds she
got pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Isaac which means laughter.
She said in Genesis 21:6, "God has brought me laughter, and all who hear
about this will laugh with me". She laughed the first time in doubt, in
skepticism, thinking there's no way. She thought she was done, but her next
laugh was in amazement.
You may have had disappointments, things haven't worked out, you're in that suffering season. You think the struggle, the weeping is the way it's always going to be. Now, like God did for her, you're going to laugh again. It's not too late, you haven't had too many bad breaks. God sees what you've been through. He sees what wasn't fair, and he is yet going to fill your mouth with laughter. Now, I believe and declare: that season of struggle is coming to an end. The suffering season has run its course. You're going to feel that heaviness lifts off of you. You're about to come into armloads of blessings, something that you cannot explain, the goodness of God, in Jesus’ name. Believe and receive it in Jesus Mighty Name!
*There are things that we must do in order for us to laugh again despite time of being grounded in the miry clay*
Even when things seem impossible,
we must not lose faith. We must hold on to God's promises, and trust that He
will restore our joy and laughter.
Believers must look to God for
comfort. In times of sorrow, we must look to God for comfort. He is our rock,
our refuge, our strength and our restorer.
We must surround ourselves with
positive influences, that is people that will encourage and support us when we
are in the valley of the shadow of death. Positive influences can help us stay
focused on God's promises. Standing on the promises of God as seen in His word
is paramount if we want to see His goodness in the land of the living.
Believers must take care of their
physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. When we take care of ourselves,
we're better equipped to handle all manner of life's challenges.
God promises that we will
experience joy, laughter, and restoration, even in the midst of sorrow and
hardship. We must trust Him with all our heart knowing that He is ALL MIGHTY
and there is nothing that He cannot do.
We must hold on to hope, don't
lose faith, and look to God for comfort. He is our restorer, and He will
restore our joy and laughter.
There are various biblical
examples of those who experienced laughter and joy again after a period of
sorrow, hardship, or adversity.
HANNAH
Hannah was childless and
ridiculed by her rival, Peninnah. However, after praying and dedicating her
child to God, Hannah conceived and gave birth to Samuel. She laughed again, and
her joy was fulfilled (1 Samuel 1-2).
SARAH
Sarah laughed when she heard the
promise of a child, but her laughter turned to doubt and unbelief. However,
when Isaac was born, Sarah laughed again, and her joy was restored (Genesis
18:12-15, 21:1-7).
THE PSALMIST
In Psalm 30:5, the psalmist
writes, "Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the
morning." This passage reflects the psalmist's experience of sorrow
turning to joy and laughter.
THE PRODIGAL SON
When the prodigal son returned
home, his father was overjoyed and threw a party to celebrate his return. Both
the prodigal son and the father laughed again, and their joy was restored (Luke
15:11-32).
In each of these examples, God
restored joy and laughter to individuals who had experienced sorrow and
hardship before that time.
These individuals demonstrated
faith and perseverance, trusting God's promises and waiting for His timing.
God's restoration and redemption
will bring joy and laughter, demonstrating His power to transform lives and
change circumstances for good.
These examples are supposed to
inspire and encourage us to hold on to hope, even in the midst of sorrow and
hardship, knowing that God can restore joy and laughter in our lives!
Criteria for laughing again is based
on biblical principles
To start with we must acknowledge
and accept our pain. We must recognize our sorrow, pain, or hardship, and
accept it as a part of our life journey (Psalm 38:18, 2 Cor. 1:3-4). According
to 1 Cor. 10:13, the things we go through are temporary, fading away and not
permanent. It is common to man and we are certain that God will make a way of
escape so we can bear it. 1 Cor. 10:13
All men that will live godly will
suffer persecution
“Yea, and all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” 2 Tim. 3:12
We must cry out to God who is
well able to save and to deliver us. We must pour out our heart to God,
expressing our emotions, and seeking His comfort and guidance (Psalm 42:3,
62:8).
Believers must hold on to hope
that is earnest expectation of deliverance and salvation from God and anchor
ourselves in God's promises, trusting that He will restore our joy and laughter
(Psalm 30:5, Jeremiah 29:11).
Believers must focus and reflect on God's goodness, mercy, and loving-kindness, even in the midst of hardship (Psalm 100:5, Psa. 107:1).
We must surround ourselves with
positive influences by seeking support from loving family, friends, or a
community of believers who can encourage and uplift us in the time of need.
(Prov. 17:22, Heb. 10: 24-25).
Believers must cultivate a spirit
of gratitude, focusing on the blessings and good things in our lives (1 Thess.
5:18, Psalm 103:1-5).
Believers must allow God to
comfort them, and receive His peace, which surpasses understanding (2 Cor.
1:3-4, Phil. 4:7).
It is important to trust in God's
sovereignty, and wait on His timing for restoration and redemption (Psalm
27:14, Isaiah 40:31).
We must forgive and let go of
pains and hurts by releasing bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness, and
choose to forgive those who have wronged us (Matt. 6:14-15; Eph. 4:32).
Lastly, we must celebrate God's
restoration. When God restores our joy and laughter, we must celebrate His
goodness, and give thanks for His faithfulness (Psalm 30:11-12, Luke 15:11-32).
These criteria are meant to guide
us as you seek to laugh again, trusting in God's goodness and faithfulness to
restore our joy!
