They say that laughter is good for the soul, and I think that is true. I had an opportunity last weekend to spend time with my daughters as we celebrated the eldest’s birthday. The days were filled with their childhood memories, jokes and silly stories, cleverly snappy retorts, and a lot of giggles. I realized at the end of the weekend that I was quite tired and quite satisfied. We had laughed our way through the hours together and my pulse was lowered, my blood pressure had stabilized, my shoulders were relaxed from their usual taut position of sitting around my ears, and I slept really well.

Did you ever wonder what makes God laugh?

I imagine God laughs at things that make us laugh: Pandas who tumble uncoordinated around their habitats, puppies scampering after their siblings, children flying high on playground swings, etc. But God is actually quite serious in his laughter. He laughs at the futile attempts of people who seek to scheme against him and band together to defeat his Anointed One. He laughs at our stupidity. He must be rolling in the clouds right now.

Psalm 2 (Common English Bible)

Why do the nations rant?
    Why do the peoples rave uselessly?
² The earth’s rulers take their stand;
    the leaders scheme together
    against the Lord and
    against his anointed one.

Ever since the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, humans have tried to band together to outwit, outthink, and outsmart God. Legend suggests that after this event God scattered the peoples and separated them by language so that this would never happen again. Yet here in David’s time, we see once again a coalition of schemers trying to take a stand against God.

³         “Come!” they say.
        “We will tear off their ropes
        and throw off their chains!”
⁴ The one who rules in heaven laughs;
    my Lord makes fun of them.
⁵ But then God speaks to them angrily;
    then he terrifies them with his fury:
⁶         “I hereby appoint my king on Zion,
        my holy mountain!”

God’s laughter comes from a place of holy righteousness and the strength of his love for us. Like parents who set rules and boundaries for the good of their children, his warnings and derision come from a place of compassion.

⁷ I will announce the Lord’s decision:
    He said to me, “You are my son,
        today I have become your father.
⁸ Just ask me,
    and I will make the nations your possession;
    the far corners of the earth will be your property.
⁹ You will smash them with an iron rod;
    you will shatter them like a pottery jar.”

This future-forward look at Jesus’ Second Coming gives hope to us as we are heart-sick and wearied by the world’s leaders who turn their backs on God and perpetrate unthinkable crimes against humanity. Hold on, David is saying. When Christ returns, the evil among us will be shattered like frail pottery jars and Jesus will reign with equity, compassion, harmony, and love.

¹⁰ So kings, wise up!
    Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
¹¹ Serve the Lord reverently—
    trembling, ¹² kiss his feet
        or else he will become angry,
        and your way will be destroyed
    because his anger ignites in an instant.

But all who take refuge in the Lord are truly happy!

Happiness is found in taking refuge in the Lord. Only there can we be truly safe and protected from the horrors of this world. And that, my friends, is something to smile about.

Path to the Moon by Wende Pritchard