I've found that God can turn my tears into dancing, replacing my pain with joy so that I can live with a happy heart. Life throws curveballs, no doubt, but I see those challenges as opportunities to lean on God, to truly know Him, and to live confidently in His powerful love.
So, I encourage you to smile. Laugh! Show whatever you're facing that you are more than a conqueror through Christ. Let joy fill you because of what the Lord is going to do in your life. Don't get bogged down in what's happening right now. Your joy will be restored, and you'll be able to laugh about the future because you have hope in the Lord, the One who lifts you up, sustains you, and never leaves your side.
Laugh, even if you're alone. Let your laughter ring out and confuse those things that try to bring you down. Even when things are tough, remember your Creator won't leave you on the ground. He'll lift you up, fight for you, give you victory, and help you break free from pain and fear.
You'll find your mouth filled with laughter, constantly praising His greatness, and your eyes will continue to see His goodness in this life.
I said of partying, “It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure, “It accomplishes nothing!”
At that time we laughed loudly and shouted for joy. At that time the nations said, “The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?”
The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child when I am old?’
Is anything impossible for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.”
Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.”
“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
so I myself will laugh when disaster strikes you, I will mock when what you dread comes,
When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe, and will mock the evildoer, saying:
For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless.
You lead me in the path of life; I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.
Indeed you will go out with joy; you will be led along in peace; the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you, and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
How blessed are the people who experience these things! How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag of seed, will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain.
There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.
To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God.
Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth! Therefore, let your words be few.
For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity.
So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.
Go, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works.
Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare precious ointment on your head.
Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.
to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
But be happy and rejoice forevermore over what I am about to create! For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem to be a source of joy, and her people to be a source of happiness.
Jerusalem will bring me joy, and my people will bring me happiness. The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow will never be heard in her again.
The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.”
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.
But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves.
Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey!
The Lord strengthens and protects me; I trust in him with all my heart. I am rescued and my heart is full of joy; I will sing to him in gratitude.
Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly! Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright!
Then you turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy.
So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you.
Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
All the days of the afflicted are bad, but one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
In the transgression of an evil person there is a snare, but a righteous person can sing and rejoice.
The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will remain unfulfilled.
You have enlarged the nation; you give them great joy. They rejoice in your presence as harvesters rejoice; as warriors celebrate when they divide up the plunder.
As your words came to me I drank them in, and they filled my heart with joy and happiness because I belong to you.
For you, O Lord, have made me happy by your work. I will sing for joy because of what you have done.
I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
Rejoice in that day, and jump for joy, because your reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.
And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.
Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
Just then some people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.”
Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.”
Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts,
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; I will be overjoyed because of my God. For he clothes me in garments of deliverance; he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would; I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.
The Lord says, “At that time young women will dance and be glad. Young men and old men will rejoice. I will turn their grief into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow.
When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion, we thought we were dreaming.
At that time we laughed loudly and shouted for joy. At that time the nations said, “The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us. We were happy.
I tell you the solemn truth, you will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy.
Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return; they will enter Zion with a happy shout. Unending joy will crown them, happiness and joy will overwhelm them; grief and suffering will disappear.
as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,
Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.
David and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.
As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.
“Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Then you will look and smile, you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. For the riches of distant lands will belong to you and the wealth of nations will come to you.
He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the lord is your strength.”
And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way. They will enter Zion with a happy shout. Unending joy will crown them, happiness and joy will overwhelm them; grief and suffering will disappear.
Surely then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face toward God.
But may all who take shelter in you be happy! May they continually shout for joy! Shelter them so that those who are loyal to you may rejoice!
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord,
and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,