Divine Joy or just happiness:
Happiness is the feeling you get when things are going well; it’s based on your circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is a deep sense of pleasure, delight, gladness, and well-being that is independent of circumstance. Joy flows from a deeply rooted conviction that not only does God cause all things to work together for the good of those who love Him; but inherent in joy is the sense of delight in God that can cause our heart to smile even if things on the outside seem to be falling apart.
“Are you relying on happiness, or does your strength come from the joy of the Lord?”
Turn with me to Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Joy is a beautiful emotion to experience. It’s the feeling you get when you’re ecstatic about going on vacation, when you’re laughing with friends, or when you’re simply with a loved one.
The biblical definition of joy says that joy is a feeling of good pleasure and happiness that is dependent on who Jesus is rather than on who we are or what is happening around us. Joy comes from the Holy Spirit, abiding in God’s presence and from hope in His word.
Biblical joy can be a confusing thing, especially since it’s something that doesn’t come just in the best of times. Because it is dependent on who Jesus is and God’s presence in us as the Holy Spirit, biblical joy is accessible to us even in the worst of times, and it can never be taken away from us.
This hope in a joy to come isn’t minimizing our pain and suffering that we’re feeling right now. Jesus didn’t endure the cross because it wasn’t excruciating or bearable, but because the thought of not enjoying an eternity with us was out of the question.
This isn’t because we’re all that, it’s because God loves us so much that He was willing to send Jesus to die for us. Now, Jesus is seated at the right hand of God with all authority and all power in His hands.
The salvation he has granted us gives us enough joy to last a lifetime and forevermore, even though we will still face hardship in this life.
Whenever a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore, you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
Without biblical joy, we’d be left to rely on circumstances in life to make us happy and bring us joy. That would work out great during family vacations and when things are going our way, but what happens when life gets hard?
We need a joy that we can hold onto no matter what is going on in our lives, a joy that is always accessible to us. That joy is not found anywhere else other than in a relationship with Jesus.
With Jesus, we know that we will be in heaven with Him for eternity, and even while we’re still here on earth, we have the Holy Spirit to help us and bring us joy when we need it.
Even in the hardest, darkest, and most chaotic times of our lives, Jesus is there, and he is offering us true joy because as Christians, we know this world is not our home. We belong with God, and every trial we are facing is nothing compared to the glory that is coming.
Today, we can find true, lasting joy in God’s word and by asking the Holy Spirit for help. Because of this, biblical joy is accessible to us even in the worst of times and is found in having a relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The word “joy” is used 93 times in the O.T. It’s a Hebrew word that means “glee” or “exceeding joy.” God wants you to be joyful! Perhaps, you feel as if you have lost your joy; how do you get your joy back?
- Joy is something God can restore
PSALM 51:12, Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (ESV)
God can cause our heart to smile even if things on the outside seem to be falling apart.
Do you remember when you got saved? You were filled with joy. That same joy is not only available to you today but is God’s will for your life. Every day His desire is that we would know His joy in our hearts in such a way that it becomes obvious to people around us… especially those who live with us!
- Joy is found in God’s presence
PSALM 16:11, You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (ESV)
If you lack joy, make a determined effort to spend time in God’s presence. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, consider His incredible kindness, celebrate how great and powerful God is and you will experience His joy.
- Joy is the result of righteousness
PSALM 97:11, Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. (NLT)
ECCLESIASTES 2:26, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. (NLT)
If you have unaddressed sin in your lives, it will diminish your joy. On the other hand, when we are walking with God with a clear conscience, joy increases.
- Joy is found in delighting in God’s Word
PSALM 119:111, Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. (NIV)
I like the way The Message reads, “I inherited your book on living…”
Some people wish they had a rich old aunt or uncle who would leave them a huge inheritance. Honestly, the best that kind inheritance can bring is a temporary happiness, but the Bible is an inheritance from the Lord; it is better than gold, diamonds, or rubies, and it has been passed down to you.
- Joy is the result of speaking with wisdom
PROVERBS 15:23, To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! (ESV)
Have you ever experienced a time when you were involved in a conversation, and suddenly you realized that God had given you wisdom to speak and there was no other explanation other than God was speaking through you? God’s desire is that every one of us who walks with Him would speak life-giving words to the people around us. When our words are filled with wisdom, it produces joy.
- Joy is produced by righteous hope
PROVERBS 10:28, The hope of the righteous brings joy… (ESV)
What is hope? For the Christian, hope is the anticipation that God will do something good! God has done good to us through His Son Jesus, and He will continue to do good in more ways than we can count. Develop the habit of anticipating God’s goodness in your life, and you will have joy!
- Joy is found in answered prayer
JOHN 16:24, Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (ESV)
Answered prayer brings joy, but you can’t have answered prayer if you don’t pray. And you won’t pray as much if you don’t have a prayer time! Making time to pray is key to making room for joy!
- Joy is produced by the Holy Spirit
Hope is the anticipation that God will do something good!
GALATIANS 5:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy… (ESV)
One measure of the Spirit’s working in your life is joy. If the Spirit is not producing joy in your life, then it’s important to consider that something in your life may, in fact, be blocking the work of the Spirit in you. Ask the Lord to identify that blockage and remove it so that His joy may flow in your heart.
- Joy fills our heart as we remember the good things God has done through the people He has placed in our lives
PHILIPPIANS 1:3-5, I thank my God for you every time I think of you; and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy because of the way in which you have helped me in the work of the gospel from the very first day until now. (GNT)
When I think about the people God has put in my life, who they are and what they’ve done, it brings me joy. Refuse to focus on the unkind words and hurts that have come to you from other people. Instead, spend your time thanking God for the people who have developed you, encouraged you, served with you, and you will have joy.
- Joy comes when we trust the Lord
PSALM 40:4, Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord… (NLT)
Placing our trust in God brings joy. We have a God who loves us more than can we imagine, a God who is more powerful than we can comprehend, and who has promised to help us if we put our trust in Him. Settle it in your heart God wants to help you!
