YOU WILL LAUGH AGAIN

Title: YOU WILL LAUGH AGAIN

By Rev. Samuel Arimoro**

Main Text: Job 8:21 
Supporting Texts: Psalm 126:1-3, Genesis 21:6-7, Isaiah 61:3

INTRODUCTION
Life’s journey often presents us with seasons of tears, pain, and heartache. However, the God we serve is a God of restoration, and He promises that no matter how painful the season, laughter will return. Job 8:21 says, "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." This statement is a powerful reminder that no matter what has been lost or how deep the pain, God has the power to restore joy and bring back laughter. In this sermon, we will explore how, by God's grace, we can move from sorrow to joy and how laughter will return.

1. GOD IS THE RESTORER OF JOY 
a) God Can Restore What Was Lost
Our God is a God of restoration. He specializes in taking what is broken and making it whole again. In Job's life, we see a man who lost everything—his wealth, his health, and even his family. Yet, at the appointed time, God restored Job’s fortune and gave him double for his trouble. God not only restored Job’s material possessions but also filled his heart with joy once more (Job 42:10).

b) The Power of God to Turn Sorrow into Laughter 
No situation is beyond God’s power to restore. Psalm 126:1-3 speaks of how God restored the fortunes of Zion, and the people were like those who dreamt. Their mouths were filled with laughter, and their tongues with songs of joy. This is a powerful testimony of how God can take a season of sorrow and turn it into a season of laughter.

Biblical Example: Sarah’s Laughter (Genesis 21:6-7) 
Sarah, who had waited for years in sorrow and disappointment, finally experienced laughter when God blessed her with a son in her old age. She said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Just as God turned Sarah’s sorrow into joy, He will also bring laughter back into your life.

2. YOUR SEASON OF LAUGHTER WILL COME 
a) There Is a Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh.” This means that no matter how long your season of weeping lasts, God has already scheduled a season of laughter for you. Just as the sun rises after the night, laughter follows tears in God’s perfect timing.

b) Faith in God’s Timing 
Sometimes it may seem like your season of sorrow is lasting forever, but faith in God’s timing is crucial. God knows exactly when to bring you into your season of laughter. Trust in Him, and hold on to the promise that you will laugh again. Lamentations 3:25-26 encourages us that the Lord is good to those who wait for Him, and that it is good to hope quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Biblical Example: The Israelites’ Restoration (Psalm 126:1-3) 
The Israelites were in captivity, a time of great sorrow and loss. But when the Lord brought them back, it was as though their dreams came true. Their tears of captivity turned into laughter of freedom. Just as He did for them, God will turn your captivity into joy.

3. GOD WILL EXCHANGE YOUR TEARS FOR LAUGHTER 
a) The Divine Exchange: Tears for Joy 
Isaiah 61:3 declares that God gives us “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” God is in the business of transforming mourning into joy. When you give God your tears, He will exchange them for joy and laughter.

b) Your Tears Are Not Wasted 
Every tear you cry is precious in the sight of God. Psalm 56:8 tells us that God collects our tears in a bottle. This means that no tear you have cried in faith, pain, or sorrow is forgotten. God sees every tear, and at the appointed time, He will replace them with laughter.

Biblical Example: Hannah’s Joy (1 Samuel 1:19-20, 2:1-2) 
Hannah was deeply distressed over her barrenness, weeping bitterly before God. But God heard her prayer, and in due time, He blessed her with a son. Her sorrow turned into joy, and she rejoiced in God’s faithfulness. Your tears too will give way to laughter.

4. JOY COMES IN THE MORNING 

a) Weeping May Endure for a Night
Psalm 30:5 reminds us that "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." The night symbolizes a season of pain, suffering, or waiting, but the morning represents the breakthrough, joy, and laughter that God promises His people. Even if you are in your "night" season, take heart, for morning is coming, and with it, your laughter.

b) Morning Always Comes 
No matter how long the night seems, morning always comes. God has appointed a time for your laughter, and when that time comes, nothing can stop it. Your night season of weeping is not permanent; laughter is on its way.

Biblical Example: Job’s Restoration (Job 42:10-17) 
After Job’s night season of pain and loss, God restored him. His later days were more blessed than his former, and he experienced joy and laughter once again. In the same way, God will bring restoration and laughter into your life.

5. PRAISE YOUR WAY INTO LAUGHTER 

a) The Power of Praise in Sorrow
One of the most powerful ways to invite laughter back into your life is through praise. Even in the midst of tears, praising God shifts your focus from your situation to His power. Praise opens the door for God to move and bring restoration. When we praise, we declare that God is greater than our circumstances.

b) Praise Prepares the Way for Joy.
Isaiah 61:3 speaks of a "garment of praise" that God gives in place of the spirit of heaviness. When you put on praise, you prepare yourself for the joy that God is about to bring. Praise invites the presence of God, and where His presence is, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

Biblical Example: Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25-26) 
Paul and Silas were in a painful and sorrowful situation in prison, but instead of weeping, they praised God. Their praise caused an earthquake that broke their chains and set them free. Their night of sorrow turned into a morning of joy through the power of praise.

CONCLUSION 
God has not forgotten your tears, and He has scheduled your season of laughter. No matter how painful the journey has been, take heart in the promise of Job 8:21, which says that God will fill your mouth with laughter. Just as He restored joy to Job, Sarah, Hannah, and the Israelites, He will restore laughter to you. Your morning is coming, and you will laugh again.

PRAYER POINTS 
1. Lord, turn my tears into laughter in Jesus’ name. 
2. Father, restore every joy and blessing I have lost. 
3. Lord, fill my mouth with laughter and my heart with joy. 
4. Father, give me the strength to endure through the night, knowing that joy is coming. 
5. Lord, let every situation of sorrow in my life be turned into joy. 
6. Father, replace my mourning with the oil of joy. 
7. Lord, give me the faith to trust in Your timing for my breakthrough. 
8. Father, let my testimony of laughter cause others to rejoice. 
9. Lord, fill my heart with praise, even in difficult times. 
10. Father, let Your joy overflow in my life, causing me to laugh again.

PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS 
1. I declare that you will laugh again in Jesus’ name. 

2. I prophesy that every tear you have shed will be replaced with joy. 

3. I declare that your season of sorrow is ending, and your season of laughter is beginning. 

4. I prophesy that God will restore everything you have lost, bringing joy and laughter to your life. 

5. I declare that your mouth will be filled with laughter, and your heart with joy. 

6. I prophesy that every night of weeping will give way to a morning of joy. 

7. I declare that your testimony will cause others to laugh with you. 

8. I prophesy that the joy of the Lord will be your strength in every season. 

9. I declare that God’s divine intervention will turn your sorrow into laughter. 

10. I prophesy that you will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.