Laughter...happiness...etc!!!

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)

There are very few pictures we see of Jesus laughing...

have you ever noticed that?

Most of the time, He's portrayed as being very serious. I've talked to Pap about this in the past and I picture Jesus that way a lot myself. He saw so much sickness and heartache and death, I've often wondered how He could have been happy at all....plus, the fact that He knew all along what He was sent to earth to do and how He would be betrayed and beaten and crucified.

But...

remember when He corrected His disciples when they didn't want Him to be bothered by the little children?

Luke 18:16 (NLT)
Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.

I cannot imagine that when all those little kids gathered around Him and started arguing over who was going to get to sit on His lap (at least that's how I picture the scene)....how could He have not been happy?Don't you just imagine that His heart was so full of happiness that He laughed out loud....maybe like in the picture above????

There are so many times that us Christians are probably guilty...me, included...of being a sad Christian. Maybe that's why sometimes we, as Christians, get a "bad rap" (now that's an old saying!!!) Lots of people think that Christians are just old "fuddie-duddies", or a "stick in the mud", or an "old fogey", or a "relic", or a "square"....I'm sure there are lots of other names that we have been called...probably some not so nice. But often...it's probably our own fault.

Let's look at some scripture about laughter and happiness:

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)

A merry heart....I used to work with a lady who had anything but a merry heart on Monday mornings!!! We always dreaded Monday's mainly for that reason and really tried to "lay low" and not get in her way, or cross her in any way...unless you just wanted to have your head bit off!!! I bet a lot of you can say the same thing about people you have to deal with on Monday's!!! I don't understand how you can got to church on Sunday...for a fill-up...and it not last beyond Monday morning!!!!!

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. Psalm 126:2-3 (KJV)

Al of us have so very much to be thankful for, that we really have no reason not to be happy. Just like the verse says, our mouth should be filled with laughter and our tongue with singing...because the Lord has done such great things for us...and we should be glad!!!

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Psalm 2:4 (KJV)

I had never read this verse before with the understanding that it is saying that the Lord laughs!!!! WOW!!! Think about it....if the Lord laughs...the wonderful Creator of all the universe....our precious Lord Almighty....if He can laugh...then why can't we???

It's Monday...let's have a joyful...happy...laugh-filled...second day of the week!!!

I'll leave you with the following little "funny".

Let me know if it makes you smile!!!

In His Love...and with mine!!!