(If Twitter ran Heaven:)

For some reason this past week, I found myself beseeching the Holy Spirit with one nagging question: “Oh Lord, is there no humor in the Scriptures?” I guess I had become weary from reading so much gloom and doom in the chapters from the Books of Ezekiel and Jeremiah. You see, I am a member of a large bible study group that meets by phone 5 days a week (Monday through Friday) from 6:00 a.m. to about 7:30 a.m., for the purpose of reading 4 bible chapters each of the 5 days. An assistant minister of my church is our leader and the drill is for him to begin our sessions with prayer and praise, and then assign 4 participants to read one Bible chapter each, from a list on a calendar: One chapter each from the Old and New Testaments, and repeat reading chapters from Psalm and Proverbs, perpetually. After the first chapter is read, anyone on the call line can select a verse and audibly wrap a prayer around it. This procedure is repeated until all 4 chapters have been read.

Normally, I find this early morning exercise extremely gratifying and it keeps me in harmony with the sweet, sweet Spirit of Jesus Christ and orders my steps for the remainder of the day. Our latest assignment readings called for the group to read the Books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel back to back. And since there is so much gloom and doom in those two books, I found myself heavy laden over the assignments given by God to these two prophets. But thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit knew that I was harboring these melancholy feelings and just as I sat down at my computer and attempted to quiet my spirit and to pray concerning the subject I would blog about for this week, my eyes fell upon a book in my library entitled, “More Holy Humor“. The very first joke I read was anonymous, no credit was ascribed to anyone. It went like this:

“A senior pastor took a vacation and placed a new young associate-in-training in charge of preaching one of the Sunday morning sermons, since he would be away. When the pastor returned, he asked one of the members how the young associate had performed. The member replied: “He preached a dull message. Not much in it at all.” When the pastor saw his associate, the pastor asked him how he had felt about that Sunday morning he had preached. “Oh, I felt very good, sir. And I have a confession to make. I didn’t have time to put the proper research required into my own sermon, so I found one of yours and preached it. Thanks.”

Now, that bit of information brought a smile to my lips. And spontaneously I heard a still small voice whisper in my ear; My child, go back and reread a few verses in those Old Testament chapters and see how God characterized some of the foolish acts of his people as they abandoned the One true God and turned their hearts over to wooden idols and false teachers. Surely, you will discover some holy humor in them and maybe even a little sarcasm, too. And while you’re at it, reread the poem “Your Promises” I had my servant, Rob, send you earlier this week in both Spanish and English. He is a true believer whom I’ve placed in your sphere of influence; a person you have never physically met; a true friend and lover of Mine. Be encouraged by his prayerful poem, and stay focused. And always remember, my friend, let God be God! HALLELUJAH!!!

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