Job 5:22

Ever so often I come across a passage of Scripture that thoroughly surprises me. Job 5:22 is such a text. I have read it many times before, but I was reminded of it by a colleague in ministry who sent it to me in the form of a praise song, or praise break under the caption “Me and the devil had a tussle.” Apparently, the inspiration for this song by S. R. Chambers, comes from this amazing passage, “At Destruction and Famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth” (Job 5:22). When I checked it out, I found that this verse was already underlined in my bible. Out of the whole chapter of the 27 verses, this was the only verse I had underlined and tagged. Some scriptures specifically need to be underlined and tagged in our bibles. Passages of the Holy Word that powerfully speak to us and minister to our souls especially in our times of great need and crisis, should be marked for future reference.

As we rummaged a little bit deeper, it is also somewhat surprising who speaks these words. They come from Eliphaz, one of Job’s miserable comforters. Don’t be surprised that we can receive inspiration even from those who don’t fully know what they are talking about. They had come to encourage Job, but in many of their statements and arguments they were just misguided and wrong. They spoke for God as they were the authority on Job’s predicament and condition. However, it cannot be denied that they also spoke things that were enlightening and inspirational. “At destruction and famine, thou shalt laugh . . .”.

Oftentimes, as we go through what we must go through we forget some of the powerful tools and weapons, God the Almighty Conqueror, has placed at our disposal. One of them is – laughter. May we always keep in mind what the divine script says about laughter. We are told in the Proverbs that laughter is like medicine to the soul (Proverbs 17:22). Job 8:21 informs “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting” (ESV). Psalm 2:4 declares, “But the One who rules in heaven laughs.” In the King James version, it states “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” The Psalmist also in Psalm 30:11 expresses “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.” Jesus emphatically says to us His disciples, “Blessed are ye that hunger now… for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh” (Luke 6:21).

I cannot begin to imagine what this does to the enemy. There he is, throwing his worst at us and amidst it all after we weep and mourn, we are yet divinely inspired to laugh. It is not that we are not adversely affected by circumstances, but the fact is we know in whom we have believed. We have the unshakeable promise “. . . Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Superintending all the vicissitudes of our most eventful lives is the One who meticulously watches our lives night and day. He is more than the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). I, therefore, repeat and reaffirm, “At destruction and famine, I will laugh. The devil is defeated! Saints, in all we must endure, I heartily encourage you not to forget to laugh. Keep your joy up! “At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh…”.