Psalm 2:1-6
1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs…
There’s an old saying: “We make plans and God laughs”.
There’s something about the image of God looking down at us and laughing that I find comforting. It’s not the laughter of a bully rejoicing in the misfortune of another person. It’s the laughter of a parent watching their children at play. The harder the children play at being grown-ups, the funnier their attempts become.
In the same way, we grown-ups often take ourselves, and our efforts to control things, way too seriously. While we argue and struggle with each other, God sits back and laughs. I can imagine God saying, “It would be so much easier if they’d just listen to me now and then”.
True freedom is found when we finally realize that we were never in control in the first place – when we stop trying so hard to manage everything and laugh with God.
Playful and Loving Lord, we try so hard to get everything right when all we really need to do is trust you. AMEN