It is often said that joy is different than happiness; happiness is temporary and based on circumstances often external to us, while joy is more internal and consistent. Today we’re looking at joy, so what does the Bible say about it?
As with the last two weeks’ posts on self-control and patience, joy is another of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. We have joy in our lives when the Spirit lives out joy through our obedience to following God.
The book of Psalms is a book of songs, and joy and rejoicing are fun things to sing about, so many verses in it reference joy. Among them are Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”; Psalm 118:24, “The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”; Psalm 30:5, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”; Psalm 71:23, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered.”; and Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
The prophet Isaiah explained God’s invitation to the people of Israel to be in relationship with Him, after their exile was punishment for turning away from Him. Isaiah 55:12 shows the joyfulness of turning back to God: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
Zephaniah also prophesied the people of Israel returning back to God. Zephaniah 3:14 and 17 describe this joyful experience: “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! … The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Mary, the mother of Jesus, rejoiced after hearing the news that she would bear the savior of the world. Her entire song is in Luke 1:46-55, but it starts out with this: “And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior’” (Luke 1:46-47).
In the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7, Jesus tells how there is much rejoicing when even one sinner repents and turns to Him. Verse 7 says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Jesus encouraged His disciples (and us) to live out joy in their lives, even in the midst of difficulties. Not long before His crucifixion, He told them, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). A little later in the same discourse, He said, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22).
The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, so it’s amazing that he focuses on joy throughout this letter. In the last chapter, he sums up his joy in Philippians 4:4 by writing, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Similarly, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Paul simply wrote, “Rejoice always.”
Paul keeps reminding the Roman church to be joyful as well. Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Just a few verses later, Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
James tells us in James 1:2-3 that pure joy comes out of our trials: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 also echoes this thought: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Finally, we are reminded in Hebrews 12:1-2 of the joy that Jesus had in order to accomplish His work on the cross: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
How are you doing with joy in your life? Are you focusing more on temporary happiness, or the eternal joy of know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
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