A Prayer About God’s Laugh
A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. Psalm 37:10-13
Heavenly Father, laughter is not one of the things I grew up associating with you. Austerity, rigidity, sobriety-yes, laughter-no. How I praise you that the gospel continues to expose, deconstruct and replace all kinds of groundless and graceless notions I’ve had about you. There’s nothing more important about us than the image of you we carry around in our hearts.
Now, I so look forward to the Day when I will actually hear you laugh, for that will be the day when all evil, wickedness and injustice will be eradicated, forever. It’s hard to conceive of a universe, an environment, a society, a relationship-even one heart, MY heart-in which every semblance of sin and brokenness is completely gone.
But that Day is coming, and we praise you for such a living hope-for such an immeasurable inheritance “that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for us” (1 Pet. 1:4). I only wish the “little while” longer we have to wait would be a little less longer. But you are the God who does all things well. I know this to be true, and whenever I doubt it, one look at the cross of Jesus tends to bring me back to gospel-sanity-back to the meekness that is appropriate for those who are destined to inherit the new heaven and new earth.
So when wicked plots and gnashing teeth seem to be on the increase, and righteousness seems to be on the decrease, please Father, allow me… allow all of your children to hear your laughter in the gospel of the kingdom. May your joy be our strength, your promise be our confidence, and your timing be our schedule.
May the hope of great peace compel us and propel us into greater expressions of missional living and loving. Give us eyes to see and hearts to believe that, even right now, Jesus is making all things new. So very Amen, we pray, in his holy and loving name.