By Olusola Anthony
Tony, a Christian of over 30 years, had struggled for many months to read the Bible because it had become so boring to him.
The Book was no longer meaningful and interesting to him. He just kept opening it to fulfill all righteousness, daily. But, all of that changed on August 27th, 2022 even as he tells the story of how laughter brought him out of a debilitating ailment
Hear him. “At about 1a.m that day, out of desperation for God and for restoration to the joyful fellowship I had known with the LORD, I stepped out of the house unto the street and began to tell God that I love Him, and I began to sing His praise and to speak in tongues.
Then, it began to rain, but I was too determined to reconnect with God than allowing the rain to send me scampering into the house.
I kept at it until my clothes were drenched and water started dripping off my cuffs and trousers.
When I was satisfied and convinced that I had been heard, I returned to the house, soaked the clothes, took a hot bath, and picked up my Bible to read.
I opened to 1 Samuel 13, where I had stopped the previous day. Believe it or not, it was as though I was reading a love note or a very interesting novel. I saw and noticed things that made me laugh, like verse six, “When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.”
That really made me laugh. I could understand hiding in caves, in thickets, and in rocks, but holes and pits? That got me giggling. I saw how fear could make people do terribly funny things.
The point is, the Spirit of the LORD opened my eyes to see funny things as I read His Word. That made it interesting enough for me to keep reading.
I laughed again when I got to verse verse twenty-two of the same chapter, “So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.”
Just picture an army of 602 Israeli soldiers and only two of them had weapons, yet they were going against a Philistine troop that numbered several thousands of chariots, horsemen, and foot soldiers. Quite laughable!
However, God brought about a great deliverance for His people by turning the Philistines on themselves. Awesome God! And, He’ll do the same, and much more for you, in JESUS’ Name.
The more I read the Bible that early morning, the more I realized what a Great Book it is, and the more I fell in love with the Word of God, over and over again.
Then, it came rushing back to me how I had diligently read the Bible as an undergraduate at the University, and how Faith in the Scripture had graduated me from my department when it looked like I was going to have an extra semester.
A merry heart does good like medicine
I remembered also, very recently, how the Word of God in Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” had healed me from a terrible ailment that could have gulped a lot of my finances, and possibly killed me.
Laugher delivered me from that terrible sickness. Hallelujah! I’m healed and whole! GOD, by His Word, renewed my strength and quickened my Faith. Praise the LORD!”
“I have not been sick for quite a while. But about two months ago, I had to see the doctor because I wasn’t feeling well. My urine and blood samples were taken immediately for lab tests. I was given initial treatment, and placed on a ten-vial injection spree: morning and evening, for the next 5 days.
“I felt humiliated, having to expose my buttocks ten different times. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I was referred to a bigger diagnostic center/lab for the scanning of my abdominal region.
“My trousers were pulled down, almost exposing my manhood. Hmmm, health is wealth O! May the LORD rebuke all sicknesses, diseases, and afflictions in your life, in JESUS’ Name.
kidney stones, ulcer, fairly enlarged prostate
Long story short, the result showed that my ‘enemy’ had kidney stones, ulcer, a fairly enlarged prostate, etc. So, the doctor added more drugs to the original regimen he had initially prescribed.
A few days after I started taking the new drugs, coupled with an ‘unpleasant’ meal I had that morning, I became dizzy, and quickly found a comfortable chair to sit in. I was alone at home. Then, I felt pressed to use the toilet, to do a ‘major’, you know!
As I defecated, I started vomiting seriously. It was as though my life was about to be snuffed out. All the food and drugs I had taken earlier came tumbling down.
I felt terribly drained, empty and weak. I laid my head on the bathroom sink in front of me, still sitting on the ‘white throne!’ In that very vulnerable position, I sent a prayer upward, “GOD, don’t let me die here!”
I must have been in that toilet for 45 minutes or more. With a pile of vomit to my right, I mustered enough strength to get up, and leave the place, taking a bucket with me,
just in case I started throwing up again. I vomited a little more in the living room, and just laid on the sofa for what looked like ‘forever!’
Close to an hour later I returned to the toilet to clean the vomit, and urinate. The urination came with a lot of pain, as it had been for some days. My body wasn’t feeling good at all. I couldn’t eat and was beginning to emaciate rapidly.
The word of the Lord came to me
Then, the Word of the LORD in Proverbs 17:22 came to me, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”
So, I made up my mind to start laughing despite the pain in my body. Subsequently, whenever I went to the loo to urinate, I would laugh while doing so, and surprisingly, the more I laughed, the lesser the pain became, till it left me completely.
It’s been about two months since then, and I’ve been pain-free all the way. Please note, immediately after I adopted ‘Laughter Therapy’ (inspired by GOD’S WORD), I stopped using the prescribed drugs.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with taking medicine or finishing your prescription. But, when you have a Word from GOD, and your heart believes it, you can override the natural with the supernatural.
Faith in the WORD makes the impossible possible! The WORD works if we’ll work it!
I am healed, whole, and sound.
Praise the LORD.”