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.
You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Be glad in Yahweh and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.
And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
¶I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; My soul will rejoice in my God, For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a headdress, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no produce on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields yield no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, laying aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in gentleness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious while not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance.
through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Now the Law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance;
“For you will go out with gladness And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Yahweh is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous ones, And give thanks for the remembrance of His holy name.
And daily devoting themselves with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
My lips will sing for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed.
Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For Yahweh has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.
¶But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
How blessed are the people who know the loud shout of joy! O Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your face. In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence.
The expectation of the righteous is gladness, But the hope of the wicked will perish.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
¶Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him, For the salvation of His presence.
But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. And you also, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
How blessed are the people for whom this is so; How blessed are the people for whom God is Yahweh!
But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; And let them rejoice with gladness.
Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers were doing the same things to the prophets.
To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a headdress instead of ashes, The oil of rejoicing instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of Yahweh, that He may show forth His beautiful glory.
Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your words became for me joy and gladness in my heart, For I have been called by Your name, O Yahweh God of hosts.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have gladness.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with shouts of joy; Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.”
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.”
¶Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, as well as its fullness; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Yahweh be magnified!”
“Yahweh your God is in your midst, A mighty one who will save. He will be joyful over you with gladness; He will be quiet in His love; He will rejoice over you with joyful singing.
But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
By transgression an evil man is ensnared, But the righteous sings with joy and is glad.
Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is Yah, and exult before Him.
“But be joyful and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for joy.
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
For You, O Yahweh, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.
Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh; My horn is exalted in Yahweh; My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I am glad in Your salvation.
Sing to Yahweh, bless His name; Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day. Recount His glory among the nations, His wondrous deeds among all the peoples.
Therefore my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
My soul has longed and even fainted for the courts of Yahweh; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in Yahweh your God, For He has given you the early rain in righteousness. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and late rains as before.
A glad heart makes a face look good, But when the heart is pained, the spirit is broken.
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with his whole household, because he had believed in God.
Great is my boldness toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I have been filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.
You shall multiply the nation, You shall make great their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
My soul is satisfied as with fatness and richness, And my mouth offers praises with lips of joyful songs. ¶When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your companions.
“Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, And her holy ones will sing loudly for joy.
Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His beautiful glory.
I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
And the ransomed of Yahweh will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting gladness upon their heads. They will attain delight and gladness, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
“Then the virgin will be glad in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them gladness for their sorrow.
The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon sing with joy at Your name.
And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God in whom we have hoped that He would save us. This is Yahweh in whom we have hoped; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And lead the nations on the earth. Selah.
For we are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
O clap your hands, all peoples; Make a loud shout to God with the sound of a shout of joy.
Then you will say in that day, “I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
That I may recount all Your praises, That in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation.
“Yah is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.
And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.
And convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,
There also you and your households shall eat before Yahweh your God, and be glad in all that you send forth your hand to do, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.
Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And recount His works with joyful singing.
So the ransomed of Yahweh will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting gladness will be on their heads. They will obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
They shall pour forth the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
I will sing of the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh forever; From generation to generation I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain; You scattered Your enemies with Your strong arm. ¶The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and its fullness, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon sing with joy at Your name. You have a mighty arm; Your hand is strong, Your right hand is exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You. How blessed are the people who know the loud shout of joy! O Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your face. In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the beauty of their strength, And by Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to Yahweh, And our king to the Holy One of Israel. ¶Formerly You spoke in vision to Your holy ones, And said, “I have bestowed help to a mighty one; I have exalted one chosen from the people. For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; Sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him, The salvation of my presence and my God.
Therefore you too have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
¶Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him, The salvation of my presence and my God.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
Thus I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with fatness and richness, And my mouth offers praises with lips of joyful songs.
Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders.
I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. I will worship toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
I will praise Yahweh throughout my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
But to the degree you are sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit,