In the Old Testament, they celebrated joy with feasts and festivals. My joy comes from discovering God's will for my life, which the Bible reveals is good, pleasing, and perfect. It's not about what's happening around me or how I'm feeling at the moment, but about finding true joy in the salvation I have in Jesus.
I want to encourage you today to let go of any sadness you're holding onto. Cast out bitterness and resentment from your heart, and let the everlasting joy of Jesus flood your soul. You'll find you have so much to smile about, and so much less to feel down about.
Think about it: everything around you was created by God for your enjoyment. So smile for Him, and let your heart overflow with love in His presence. That gray sky will soon disappear, and He’ll paint a rainbow just for you.
He’s turned my mourning into dancing; He’s filled me with joy. Sure, life isn’t always happy-go-lucky, but in God, I find peace because I trust that He’s working everything out for my good (Romans 8:28).
Each man as he purposes in his heart, not from regret or from necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Thou made known to (LXX/NT) me the path of life. Thou will fill me of joy with thy countenance (LXX/NT).
Rejoice always.Pray without ceasing.In everything express thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
And now therefore indeed ye have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no man takes your joy away from you.
Make a joyful noise to LORD, all ye lands.Serve LORD with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.
The hope of the righteous [is] gladness, but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
The precepts of LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
LORD thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over thee with joy. He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing.
These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted thy works.
LORD is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise him.
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor. [It] is the gift of God.
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in Holy Spirit.
For though the fig tree shall not flourish, nor shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.Yet I will rejoice in LORD. I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Whom, not having seen, ye love, in whom, not now seeing but believing, ye exult in inexpressible and glorified joy,
For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy [is] in the morning.
Thou have turned for me my mourning into dancing. Thou have loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness,
But let the righteous be glad. Let them exult before God. Yea, let them rejoice with gladness.
For thou, LORD, have made me glad through thy work. I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
Light is sown for the righteous man, and gladness for the upright in heart.Be glad in LORD, ye righteous, and give thanks to the memory of his holiness.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, LORD has done great things for them.LORD has done great things for us. We are glad.
blessed [are] the people who are in such a case. Blessed are the people whose God is LORD.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but joy is to the counselors of peace.
A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a cheerful heart [has] a continual feast.
It is joy to the righteous to do justice, but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
For to the man who pleases him [God] gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God.
Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid, for LORD, [even] LORD, is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.Therefore with joy ye shall draw water out of the wells of salvation.
And the ransomed of LORD shall return, and come with singing to Zion. And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy. And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
And the ransomed of LORD shall return, and come with singing to Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy, [and] sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.
to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of LORD, that
Thy words were found, and I ate them. And thy words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart. For I am called by thy name, O LORD, God of hosts.
Then the virgin shall rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together, for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, because your reward is great in the heavens, for so they persecuted the prophets before you.
And his lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman. Thou were faithful over a few things, I will appoint thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
And after coming out quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, they ran to notify his disciples.
Blessed are those who hunger now, because ye will be filled. Blessed are those who weep now, because ye will laugh.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are made subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in the heavens.
I say to you, that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous men who have no need of repentance.
Thus I say to you, there becomes joy in the presence of the agents of God over one sinner who repents.
Truly, truly, I say to you, that ye will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. Ye will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will become into joy.
And now I come to thee. And I speak these things in the world, so that they may have my joy fulfilled in them.
through whom also we have access by faith for this grace in which we stand, and we take pride in hope of the glory of God.And not only so, but we also take pride in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance,
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, for ye to abound in hope in the power of Holy Spirit.
Great is my boldness toward you, great is my pride for you. I have been filled with encouragement. I over-abound with joy in all our affliction.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in Lord. To write the same things to you is really not irksome to me, but safe for you.
And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
being strengthened in every ability, according to the dominion of his glory, for all perseverance and longsuffering with joy.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing by grace in your hearts to God.
And ye became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of Holy Spirit,
Looking to Jesus the pathfinder and perfecter of the faith, who, against the joy set before him, endured a cross, having despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when ye encounter various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
But rejoice in so far as ye are partakers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that also at the revealing of his glory ye may rejoice, having exceeding joy.
But let all those who take refuge in thee rejoice. Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defend them. Let those also who love thy name be joyful in thee.
Be glad in LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous. And shout for joy, all ye who are upright in heart.
Blessed is the people who know the joyful sound. They walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.In thy name do they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness are they exalted.
O come, let us sing to LORD. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.He who goes forth and weeps, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves.
Thou have multiplied the nation. Thou have increased their joy. They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
The meek also shall increase their joy in LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains. For LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted.
I will greatly rejoice in LORD. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride
And ye shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass. And the hand of LORD shall be known toward his servants, and he will have indignation against his enemies.
Again I will build thee, and thou shall be built, O virgin of Israel. Again thou shall be adorned with thy tambourine, and shall go forth in the dances of those who make merry.
the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, Give thanks to LORD of hosts, for LORD is good, for his loving kindness [is] forever, [and of those] wh
And the agent said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good-news of great joy that will be to all the people,
He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This therefore my joy is fulfilled.
Indeed therefore, having been helped for the trip by the congregation, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles. And they caused great joy to all the brothers.
Finally brothers, farewell. Be thoroughly prepared, be encouraged, think the same way, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
So then, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in Lord this way beloved.
I now rejoice in sufferings for you, and make complete in my flesh things lacking of the afflictions of the Christ for his body, which is the church.
For what is our hope or joy or crown of boast? Or is it not even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?For ye are our glory and joy.
For what thanks can we repay God about you, for all the joy in which we rejoiced because of you before our God,
I rejoice exceedingly that I have found of thy children walking in truth, just as we received commandment from the Father.
For I rejoiced exceedingly of brothers coming and testifing to the truth of thee, just as thou walk in truth.I have no greater joy than these things that I hear my children walking in truth.
Now to him who is able to keep them non-stumbling, and to present before his glory, unblemished in gladness,