She Laughs. He Laughs. They Laugh.
There is a woman in the Bible who is described as “being clothed with strength and dignity”, and here’s the part that really gets to me – “she laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:25). I want to be that woman. I think we all long to be described like her, but I’m not sure we’d define ourselves as having no fear and “laughing” about the future.
How can we laugh when just over the weekend a shooter killed 7 people and over 21 were injured in Odessa, TX? In Chicago, gang members shot 66 people from 6 p.m. on Friday to midnight on Sunday and 12 of those victims have died. Then there’s Hurricane Dorian that is responsible for 5 deaths as it slammed into the Bahamas. And now, officials urged 2wo over two million people in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina to evacuate. So how can this Proverbs “laughing” woman possibly be laughing without fear of the future? When threats swirl around us, is it realistic to think this is even possible?
I believe God wants all of us to laugh without fear of the future. More clues about this woman’s sense of humor occur a little later in Proverbs 31:30 when she is described as a “woman who fears the Lord.” What does it mean to fear God? As a child I “feared” the Lord because I was afraid of Him and “His big stick”. It was an unhealthy fear. I had little sense that God loved me. That changed when I understood that He so loved me He sent Jesus to die for me, and when I believed in Him, He adopted me as His daughter. Now I had hope in His love. “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.” Psalm 147:11
The fear of the Lord that brings God pleasure is not our being afraid of Him, but reverencing Him. To “fear Him” means to stand in awe of Him: “Let all the earth FEAR the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” (Psalm 33:8) To fear the Lord is being in awe of His majesty, power, wisdom, justice, and mercy. To fear God means to know His great love and His desires for us to turn away from sin.
To fear God is to relate to Him as a child relates to his strong, faithful and loving father. We respect and honor the Lord, and we want to please Him. So, we obey Him. We know that He loves us and delights in us. The fear of the Lord is a wonderful gift from God that has brought joy and gladness into my life and has spared me from unimaginable pain and suffering. God tells us that to fear Him will lead to all kinds of wonderful blessings in our lives. I know that is why I am so blessed. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life….” (Proverbs 14:27) “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and His children will have a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)
So we really can LAUGH with no fear of the future because, like that “laughing” Proverbs woman, we fear God. We stand in awe of Him, take refuge in Him, and hope in His steadfast love. It brings the Lord pleasure when we trust in Him with all our hearts. He holds us and our future. No wonder we can LOL — laugh out loud! ???