Laughter From the Inside Out
Wednesday’s Verse:
From Proverbs 31:25 ESV
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
The world right now seems anxious. Fury sparks easily. Dread lingers just beneath the surface. Laughter has become scarce. Not because our days are joyless. But because our days are up for grabs.
When I read about the woman of Proverbs 31, it is different. She does not wear rose-colored glasses. She works hard. Shoulders burdens. She understands that life is painful at times. And yet, she laughs at the days to come.
She is not mocking the future. She trusts it.
In context, Lutherans read this verse with less emphasis on character traits and more on salvation. Her strength and dignity do not originate from within. She has received them. She laughs because she is clothed … in Christ.
We know the future will not have the final say because Christ will. Jesus has already shouldered our sin. He already died. He already rose again. Even when the world mocks or rails against faith, our position before God is secure. And when our position before God is secure, we can afford to laugh. Not the nasty clap back laugh. Not the tension-releasing snicker. But the gentle ripple of a laugh from those who know how this story ends.
To laugh in that way becomes worship. It proclaims, “God is God still. Christ is risen indeed. I will not fear what comes tomorrow.”
Whether you laugh at work today or at home or with your neighbors…your laugh matters. Because when poured out properly, it brings kindness to cruelty. Hope to despair. And it proclaims the Gospel without speaking a single word.
So when you laugh today… be real. Be kind. Laugh from the inside out because you know that in Christ, you are clothed and your future is safe.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, thank You that when there is fury and fear all around us we can trust that You have won the victory. Help us to clothe ourselves with that strength and dignity in Christ. And help us to laugh at the days to come. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above is licensed through Unsplash+