Think about it: the joy of the Lord doesn't just fill you with strength, it brings us all together. It's a joy that's not meant to be kept to yourself; it needs to be shared. Just like the Israelites were instructed to celebrate and share what they had with each other, you can spread the joy of the Lord with everyone you know.
This joy challenges you to love your neighbor and share the Gospel. When your heart is joyful in God, you are strong and empowered to spread that joy throughout your community. It's a lasting joy, something no one can take away.
Psalm 98:4-6 says, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King." You can find so many verses like this that talk about the joy of our God.
And I will make of thee a goy gadol (great nation), and I will bless thee, and make thy shem great; and thou shalt be a berakhah (blessing);
(22) Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os Elohei Yisroel: Once again they shall use this saying in Eretz Yehudah and in the towns thereof, when I shall turn them back from their captivity; yevarechecha Adonoi neveh tzedek har hakodesh (may Hashem bless thee, O Righteous Abode, O Har HaKodesh!)
In that day shall Yisroel be the third with Mitzrayim and with Assyria, even a berakhah in the midst of ha'aretz;
And He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee; He will also bless the pri of thy womb, and the pri of thy land, thy grain, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy cattle, and the flocks of thy sheep, in ha'aretz which He swore unto Avoteicha to give thee.
And Aharon lifted up his hand toward the people, and pronounced a barucha upon them, and came down from offering of the chattat (sin offering), and the olah (burnt offering), and shelamim (peace offerings).
Sojourn in ha'aretz hazot, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy zera, I will give all these lands, and I will perform the shevu'ah (oath) which I swore unto Avraham avichah;
And he made a berakhah on them that day, saying, In thee shall Yisroel bless, saying, Elohim make thee like Ephrayim and like Menasheh; and he set Ephrayim before Menasheh.
And I will bless the one blessing you, and curse him that curses you; and kol mishpochot haadamah shall be blessed through you.[T.N. There is a berakhah in this verse that many do not know but that every true follower of Moshiach should know.]
And their zera shall be known among the Goyim and their offspring among the Nations: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the Zera Berach Hashem.
And from El Avicha, who shall help thee; and Shaddai, who shall make berakhah over thee with Birkat Shomayim above, Birkat Tehom that lieth beneath, Birkat Shadayim and of Rekhem.
In that I command thee today to love Hashem Eloheicha, to walk in His ways, and to be shomer over His mitzvot and His chukkot and His mishpatim, that thou mayest live and multiply; and Hashem Eloheicha shall bless thee in ha'aretz whither thou goest to possess it.
Sha'alu shalom Yerushalayim (pray for the peace of Jerusalem); they shall prosper that love thee.
Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith Eloheichem.
Speak ye to the lev Yerushalayim, and preach unto her, that her tzeva'a (time of hard service, warfare) is ended, that her avon (iniquity) is nirtzah (punitively paid for, pardoned); for she hath received of the Yad Hashem kiflayim (double) in payment for all her chattot.
And it came to pass from the time that he had made him mefake'ach (overseer) in his bais, and over all that he had, that Hashem put a berakhah on the bais haMitzri on account of Yosef; and the birkat Hashem was upon all that he had in the bais, and in the sadeh.
And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a kelalah (curse) among the Goyim, O Bais Yehudah, and Bais Yisroel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a berakhah; fear not, but let your hands be strong.
Hashem will give oz (strength) unto His people; Hashem will bless His people with shalom.
Shir HaMa'alot Song of Ascents They that trust in Hashem shall be as Mt Tziyon, which is immoveable, and abideth l'olam.
As harim (the mountains) surround Yerushalayim, so Hashem surrounds His people from henceforth v'ad olam (and to forever).
And Hashem will take away from thee every choli (disease), and will put none of the evil diseases of Mitzrayim, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
Baruch Hashem Elohim, Elohei Yisroel, who only doeth nifla'ot (wondrous things).
And baruch Shem kevodo l'olam (and blessed be His Glorious Name forever); and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Omein, and Omein.
Behold, thou shalt summon a Goy (People) that thou knowest not, and Goy that knew not thee shall run unto thee l'ma'an (for the sake of) Hashem Eloheicha and for Kadosh Yisroel; for He hath glorified thee.
Hashem shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be defeated before thy face; they shall come out against thee derech echad, and flee before thee shivah derakhim.
For they chose to do so and owe them a choiv (debt), for if the non-Jews have received a share in their spiritual affairs, they ought to minister to the Messianic Jews in material affairs.
[2:12] For thus saith Hashem Tzva'os: After Kavod (Glory) sent me unto the Goyim who plundered you --the one that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye.
And the Kitvei HaKodesh, having foreseen that Hashem would yatzdik (justify) the Goyim by emunah, preached the Besuras HaGeulah beforehand to Avraham Avinu, saying "VENIVRECHU VO KOL GOYEI HA'ARETZ ("All the families, peoples of the earth will be blessed in you" BERESHIS 18:18; 12:3).
If I forget thee, O Yerushalayim, let my yamin (right hand) forget [i.e., have paralysis].
If I do not remember thee, let my leshon cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Yerushalayim above my rosh simchah (chief joy).
For it was me'at (little) which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and Hashem hath made a berakhah upon thee since my coming; and now when shall I do for mine own bais also?
For the harim (mountains) shall depart, and the geva'ot (hills) be removed; but My chesed shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Brit of My Shalom be removed, saith Merachamech Hashem (Hashem the One having rachamim on thee).
Hashem hath been mindful of us; Yevarech. Yevarech es Bais Yisroel; Yevarech es Bais Aharon.
Yevarech Yirei Hashem (He will bless those who fear Hashem), the ketanim with the gedolim.
(9) HaYeshuah (salvation) belongeth unto Hashem; the Birkhat (blessing) of Thee is upon Thy people. Selah.
And in thy zera shall kol goyei ha'aretz be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice.
And thy zera shall be as the dust of ha'aretz, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy zera shall kol hamishpochot haadamah be blessed.
And Hashem Eloheicha will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.
But you are an AM NIVCHAR ("a chosen people” YESHAYAH 43:20; SHEMOT 6:7), a MAMLECHET KOHANIM ("a kingdom of priests, royal priests" Ex 19:6), a GOY KADOSH ("a holy nation" Ex 19:6), an AM SEGULLAH ("a people of treasured possession" Ex 19:5; Mal 3:17), for this purpose: that you may declare the wondrous deeds of the One who gave you the kri'ah (calling) and summoned you out of choshech into his marvelous ohr [Isa 43:21; 42:12].
There shall be no evyon (needy, poor) among you; for Hashem shall greatly bless thee in ha'aretz which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah to possess it;
Thus saith Adonoi Hashem, Hinei, I will lift up Mine Yad to the Goyim, and set up My nes (banner, rallying flag, [i.e., Moshiach; see Isa 11:10]) to the Nations; and they shall bring thy banim in their arms, and thy banot shall be carried upon their shoulders.
For Hashem hath chosen Tziyon; He hath desired her for His moshav.
This is My menuchah (resting place) adei-ad (forever); here will I dwell; for I have desired her.
Shir HaMa'alot Song of Ascents When Hashem brought the return of the captivity of Tziyon, we were like the cholemim (them that dream).
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and leshoneinu (our tongue) with rinnah (joyful song); then said they among the Goyim, Hashem hath done great things for them.
And say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, I will take the Bnei Yisroel from among the Goyim, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land;
And I will make them Goy Echad in the land upon the mountains of Yisroel; and Melech Echad shall be Melech to them all; and they shall be no more two Goyim, neither shall they be divided into two Mamlachot any more at all.
I have set shomrim upon thy chomot, O Yerushalayim, which shall never hold their peace yom nor lailah; ye that remind Hashem, keep not silence,
And give Him no rest, until He establish, and until He make Yerushalayim a tehillah (praise) in Ha'Aretz.
Let people serve thee, and amim bow down to thee: be gevir over thy achim, and let bnei immecha bow down to thee: arur be every one that curseth thee, and baruch be he that blesseh thee.
(5) There is a nahar (river), the streams whereof shall make glad the Ir Elohim, the Kedosh Mishkenei Elyon (the holy dwelling of the Most High).
Ashrey are the ANAVIM (humble, YESHAYAH 29:19; ZEFANYAH 2:3), for YIRESHU ARETZ (they will inherit the land, TEHILLIM 37:11).
For I will take you from among the Goyim, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own adamah (land).
Then will I sprinkle mayim tehorim upon you, and ye shall be tahor; from all your tum'a, and from all your gillulim (idols), will I make you tahor.
A lev chadash also will I give you, and a ruach chadashah will I put within you; and I will take away the lev haeven (stony heart) out of your basar, and I will give you a lev basar.
Enlarge the makom (place, living area) of thy ohel, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine mishkenot (tents); spare not, lengthen thy cords, and thy stakes make chizzuk (stronger);
For thou shalt spread out on the yamin (right hand) and on the smol (left); and thy zera shall inherit the Goyim, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
He hath remembered His Brit l'olam, the Dvar which He commanded to an elef dor (a thousand generations)
Which Brit He made with Avraham, and His shevu'ah (oath) unto Yitzchak;
And confirmed the same unto Ya'akov for a chok (decree), and to Yisroel as Brit Olam;
Of the Bnei Korach A mizmor A shir On the Harei Kodesh (Holy Mountain) stands His foundation.
Hashem loveth the sha'arei Tziyon more than all the mishkenot Ya'akov.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O Ir HaElohim. Selah.
And I will pour upon the Bais Dovid, and upon the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, the Ruach (Spirit) of Chen (grace) and of Tachanunim (supplications for favor); and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced [dakar, "pierce through" cf. Yeshayah 53:5; Targum HaShivim Tehillim 22:17], and they shall mourn for Him (Moshiach) as one mourneth for his yachid (only son), and shall grieve in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his bechor (firstborn).
And I will make them and the places surrounding My givah (hill) a berakhah; and I will cause the geshem to come down in its season; there shall be gishmei berakhah (showers of blessing).
And the etz hasadeh shall yield her p’ri, and ha'aretz shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their adamah, and shall know that I am Hashem, when I have broken the bars of their ol (yoke), and saved them out of the yad haovedim (hand, power of enslavers) of them.
May Hashem give you increase, upon you and your banim.
May a barukhah be upon you by Hashem, Oseh Shomayim va'Aretz (Maker of Heaven and Earth).
Thus saith Adonoi Hashem, Hinei, I will lift up Mine Yad to the Goyim, and set up My nes (banner, rallying flag, [i.e., Moshiach; see Isa 11:10]) to the Nations; and they shall bring thy banim in their arms, and thy banot shall be carried upon their shoulders.
And melachim shall be thy omenim (foster fathers, supporters, nurturers), and their sarot thy wet nurses; they shall bow down before thee with their face toward eretz, and lick the aphar of thy raglayim; and thou shalt know that I am Hashem; for they shall not be put to shame that wait for Me.
(9) Hear the Devar Hashem, O ye Goyim, and preach it in the farthest shores, and say, He that scattered Yisroel will gather Yisroel, and He shall be shomer over Yisroel, like a Ro'eh over the Eder thereof.
For the one directing Of Dovid Mizmor Shir Let Elohim arise, let His oyevim be scattered; let them also that hate Him flee before Him.
(3) As ashan (smoke) is blown away, so drive them away; as wax melteth before the eish, so let the resha'im perish at the presence of Elohim.
Hashem, I have loved the ma'on of Thy Bais [HaMikdash], and the Mishkan where Thine kavod dwelleth.
For from the rising of the shemesh even unto the going down of the same My name shall be gadol among the Goyim; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My name, and a minchah tehorah; for My name shall be gadol among the Goyim, saith Hashem Tzva'os.
And it shall come to pass in the acharit hayamim, that the Har Beis Hashem shall be established as the rosh of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all the Goyim shall flow unto it.
And amim rabbim (many peoples) shall come and say, Come ye, and let us go up to Har Hashem, to the Beis Elohei Ya'akov; and He will teach us of His Derakhim, and we will walk in His Orakhot; for out of Tziyon shall go forth the torah, and the Devar Hashem from Yerushalayim.
And so Klal Yisroel shall be delivered, as it is written: "Out of Tziyon shall come the Go'el (Deliverer, Redeemer); He will turn away, remove peysha from Ya'akov (Jacob),
I call Shomayim and Ha'Aretz to record today as witnesses against you, that I have set before you HaChayyim and HaMavet, HaBerakhah and HaKelalah; therefore choose Chayyim, that both thou and thy zera may live;
That thou mayest love Hashem Eloheicha, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest have deveykus unto Him: for He is Chayyeicha (your life, Pp 1:21; Ac 17:28), and the orech yameicha (length of your days); that thou mayest dwell in ha'adamah which Hashem swore unto Avoteicha, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya'akov, to give them.
(5) Ashrei are they that dwell in Thy Beis [Hamikdash]; they are ever praising Thee. Selah.
(35) Ascribe ye oz (power) unto Elohim; His majesty is over Yisroel, and His oz is in the skies.
(36) O Elohim, Thou art norah (awesome, terrible) out of Thy Mikdashim; the El (G-d) of Yisroel is He that giveth oz and strength unto His people. Baruch Elohim.