Laughing

Psalm 126 (Message)

It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God returned Zion's exiles.

We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune.

We were the talk of the nations— "God was wonderful to them!"

God was wonderful to us; we are one happy people.

And now, God, do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives, so those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest,

So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

The psalms are absolutely wonderful for the huge range of emotion that they display. The psalms show the whole spectrum of feelings that we human beings experience.

There's a lot of weeping and sadness. In fact, "sadness" isn't strong enough to describe some of the emotions at work in the psalms.

At times in there are feelings that approach something more like total desolation and darkness.

The "Babylonian Exile" was one of those deep-dark moments for God's people.

Because of their disobedience, they lost the land that God had given them. The temple was destroyed, the people were scattered, and the dream was quickly dying.

Psalm 126 is the story of their return. It's the story of laughter. What a great and beautiful laughter it is!

Joyous, spontaneous, uncontrollable laughter. That is one of God's great gifts to us.

It's the promise of this psalm for those who have gone away with heavy hearts.

One day, truly, you will "come home laughing, with armloads of blessing."

By faith, it could even be today.

Grace & Peace,

Adam