It is My time to Laugh – Isaiah 54:1-4

Beloved, you are welcome to the second Sunday in our Season of Divine Laughter.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven”. The preacher realised that there is time for everything under the sun (Ecc. 3:1-10) and the Almighty is saying to someone today, it is your time to laugh. Your time to laugh over your challenging circumstances and your enemies is now. Your enemies will no longer laugh at you rather, it is your time to laugh.

Time here simply refers to the plan, schedule, or arrangement when something should happen or be done. I am confident that your time and my time to laugh is now in Jesus name. Amen.

In Genesis 21:1-7, it was Mama Sarah’s time to laugh. She gave birth to Isaac at the age of 90 years. Who will believe a man of 100 years will father a child and a woman of 90 years will carry a child to full term? It can only be God. This season, God will wipe away all your tears and put a new song in your mouth that will cause you to laugh and everyone that hears your testimony will laugh with you in Jesus name. Amen. Mama Sarah and the family did not laugh alone, even the people around her family gathered to laugh and rejoice with them.

Psalm 126:1-3 says, “When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations.

“The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad”. The children of Israel were in captivity for 70 years. Picture a man in pain or agony for just few hours and suddenly, the man received a touch from God. You can imagine joy and laughter that will flow from within and now take it back to when a nation has been in captivity for 70 years and when all hope seems lost, then God just showed up. The rest of Psalm 126 tells the story.

It is my time to laugh can be a decree. A decree is backed up by instant action while a prophecy can take time before its fulfilment. Please, decree and say, It is my time to Laugh.

In Luke 8:43-48, the Bible gave us an account of a woman with the issue of blood. Luke 8:43 says, “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any”. She has spent all she had and yet laughter was not in sight but then she decided within herself that enough is enough. She said within herself, it is difficult to get the attention of Jesus but if I can reach forth the helm of His garment, I shall be made whole.

In Luke 5:1-11, Simon Peter, his brother and fishing colleagues had fished all night but caught nothing. They were exhausted and ready to go home after a fruitless, unproductive night and while they were washing their nets, the Master showed up and requested to use their boat as His pulpit. He even gave Peter an instruction to position the boat very well to avoid overcrowding and be able to minister to the multitude around Him. Luke 5:4-5 says, “When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word, I will let down the net”. Peter and his colleagues began to laugh after this encounter with Jesus and left everything to follow Jesus.

What can I do to make Now my time of Laughter?

You can decide to activate your time of laughter or leave it to change. Abraham in Genesis 18 activated his time of laughter by his acts of welcoming the so-called three strangers he saw while he was seating under the Mamre tree. You too can activate your time of laughter.

1. Be on the right standing with God. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”. Acts 10:1-2 says, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people and prayed to God always.
2. Walk in integrity. Joseph was a man who walked with integrity. Genesis 39:8-9 says, “But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”. Daniel and his friends also walked in integrity. Daniel 1:8 says, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself”.
3. Don’t seek men, seek God. The woman with the issue of blood sought men and spent all she has but her case grew worse the moment she turned to Jesus, her health was restored and she could laugh again (Luke 18:34-38). 2 Kings 2:19-22 says, “Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.” And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it, there shall be no more death or barrenness.” So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
4. Be ready to let go of your oil. The widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7 was ready to let go of her little oil. Another classical example is another widow in 1 Kings 17:8-16 (the Widow of Zarephath). Verse 15-16 says, “So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah”.
5. Don’t be satisfied with your current state, ready to move out of your comfort zone. Don’t be a mediocre, refuse to be average. Be ready to challenge yourself. The men of the city in 2 Kings 2:19-22 had Elisha with them and were drinking very bad water but the moment they ran to Elisha, they were no longer satisfied with the state of affair of the land and the water were healed. 2 Chron. 7:14 says, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
6. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
7. Prepare for laughter. Noah prepared for the rain. We fail today because we failed to prepare. When we don’t prepare, we cannot plan. Noah spent several years planning and preparing for the rain. Preparation can take several years but when the rain eventually came, Noah and his family laugh. Prepare for laughter.