12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts and their bows will be broken.
There are very few times that the Lord is pictured as laughing. Most of these are in the Psalms and each has to do with his scoffing those who mock him or ignore him. Neither the Psalmist nor God is suggesting that this is funny. The laughter is because it is ridiculous to scoff at God or to ignore God and his decrees.

If ever there were a mismatch, this is it. Man in all his pomp, wisdom and might, standing in the face of God and offering a challenge! Try to imagine anything more absurd than this. Do you remember Job? He offered such a challenge to God as he questioned why he was suffering. God did not retaliate in anger but simply asked Job some very piercing questions. Things like, where were you when I created all this? Or, where is your power to feed and clothe all the animals of the earth? What really stands out is the response of Job, given back to God. He said that he had spoken of things he did not understand, things too wonderful for him to know. And then he concluded by saying that he despised himself and repented in dust and ashes. Now, this is the man who is described (by God himself) as the “greatest man in all of the east”. If he cannot challenge God, who can?

Yet, as ridiculous as this seems (to challenge God), do we not do the same thing in our lives? We read what pleases God and we ignore it and do it our way. We know that we need the help of others who are devoted to him and then forsake their fellowship and try to make it alone. We know that God is love and we are to be like him and yet in our cold society we turn a deaf ear to those who are in need. Or even worse, we offer money to those who need our time, our hearts, our love and our friendship. We challenge God when we try to be as much like the world as we can rather than seeking to be like him and having no affinity for the passing things of this world.

O God, my heavenly Father, it is with great humility that I come before you today. I realize that I am but a small part of your creation and as a speck in the sands of time. Yet, I know that you love me and that I am special to you in a personal way because of the love you have shown in saving me. I thank you and praise you for this love. I ask that you fill me with your Spirit so that my life will exemplify your love, your mercy, your kindness and your compassion to those around me. Forgive my foolish ways. In Jesus’ name.

May God bless each of us as we recognize his greatness.