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 one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Rejoice always,pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.
Go, eat your bread in joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil -- this is God's gift to man.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.[3] Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
Light is sown[1] for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil -- this is the gift of God.
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD[2] is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."With joy you[3] will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
"For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
to grant to those who mourn in Zion -- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.[3]
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.[5] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
Through him we have also obtained access by faith[2] into this grace in which we stand, and we[3] rejoice[4] in hope of the glory of God.More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Finally, my brothers,[1] rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Count it all joy, my brothers,[2] when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face,who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! for the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult 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 like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.
Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD: " 'Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!'For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.
And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.[1]
Finally, brothers,[1] rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another,[2] agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Therefore, my brothers,[1] whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?For you are our glory and joy.
For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.
For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers[1] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,