Joy can often be an elusive thing for us in this life.

When, at every turn, we’re greeted with death, destruction, and despair, it can be difficult to find joy in our daily lives. And that’s just a product of a broken and fallen world.

But Scripture gives us much to consider on the matter of joy and where to find it. Maybe you’re an avid and faithful reader of Scripture and were looking for just the right verse, or maybe you’ve landed on this list by chance from a desperate search.

Either way, I’m glad you’re here. I hope you’ll spend the next few minutes with me as we dive into the subject of joy.

What Does the Bible Say About Joy?

John 15:11

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

In John 15, we’re in the midst of some of Jesus’ final teachings to His disciples.

In just a few short chapters, we move from this moment on to the crucifixion. And thats part of what makes this particular passage such a powerful teaching on the subject of Joy. And really, in the surrounding context, joy isn’t even the main idea.

By this point, Jesus has already told his disciples that one would betray Him. He’s already foretold of Peter’s denial. By this point, the disciples had already been told of Jesus’ impending death.

Imagine the tension and turmoil that must have accompanied those final days. Just placing ourselves in the position of the disciples, it’s hard to imagine. Now consider what Jesus must have experienced.

Yet, in the midst of that, He delivers one of the most poignant teachings on joy which can effectively be summarized: if you will live according to my words and my commands, if you will walk with me - abide in me, you will be filled with joy.

It’s truly that simple.

You will never be more fulfilled, more satisfied, or more joyful than when you are walking in faithfulness and obedience to God.

Remember Jesus today, and let the joy that comes from knowing Him fill your heart and mind.

Philippians 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

I can think of perhaps only a couple other people in Scripture that stand shoulder to shoulder with Paul in his steadfast resolve and ability to maintain his joy (at least insofar as we can ascertain from scripture). So what better examples to draw from then a book that Paul wrote?

Paul likely wrote Philippians during his first imprisonment. Though the book is shorter, and lacking in some of the lengthy examinations of theology that we get from books such as Romans, it was generally an encouragement to the church of Philippi.

What may be most notable about this letter of Paul’s, however, is the joyful undertone throughout.

Despite the fact that he wrote this letter from prison, he writes of his joy at least 11 times throughout the four short chapters.

Paul gives us a glimpse into the source of his hope in 3:12-14, particularly this sentence; “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” This echoes his sentiment from 1:21, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Paul so desperately pursued Christlikeness that in life, he abided in Christ (as we covered in the passage from John 15!) but he also rested in the fact that no matter how much joy he was able to derive from abiding in Christ, a second, far surpassing joy awaited him on the other side of any of the horrors this life may hold.

Let your life exemplify an enduring joy today.

Nehemiah 8:10

“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

There’s no shortage of Scripture throughout the New Testament pointing us towards joy. Which makes sense, right? After all, the New Testament begins with the fulfillment of all that God had promised through the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.

But what about the Old Testament? Surely we can find some examples there, right? You betcha.

One constant throughout the Old Testament is Israel’s disobedience toward God. All throughout, we see examples where the Lord gives commands, and the folly of His people as they attempt to take their own path.

Nehemiah finds us during a period of obedience for God’s people, and this section of scripture in particular comes as Ezra is reading the Book of the Law to the people (a practice which was to be carried out every seven years during The Feast of Booths, but had been neglected).

The people, having just heard the books of the Law, and being confronted with their egregious neglect and violation of it, were moved to sorrow. But the people were comforted by Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites as they explained that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Basically, the same God who punishes sin also blesses and delights in obedience. So the same knowledge of the Law was the same knowledge that would set them free to walk in obedience, and delight in doing the will of God.

Remember that when you are weak, the joy that comes from the Lord can be your strength.

Romans 15:13

“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.”

Joy is a crucial aspect of our lives as believers.

It's not just happiness that comes and goes with our circumstances, but a deep-seated sense of peace and contentment that transcends our current situation. This joy is rooted in the hope we have in Jesus and the assurance that He is in control of all things.

In order to experience this joy, we must trust in God and allow Him to fill us with His hope and peace. This requires us to surrender control of our lives to Him and trust that He has a good plan for us, even when things are difficult.

It may not always be easy, but when we trust in God and rely on His power, we will be filled with an overflow of hope and joy. The Holy Spirit is also a source of strength and encouragement in our lives. When we allow Him to work in and through us, He gives us the power to overcome trials and difficulties and experience true joy and peace.

So trust in God.

Surrender control of your life to Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with His hope and peace so that you can experience the fullness of joy that comes from knowing Jesus and trusting in His plan for your life.

Rest in hope today, and let that hope give you a deep, enduring sense of joy.

John 16:22

“So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.”

Jesus reminds us that we will experience sorrow. Sorrow will be a very real part of our life.

The psalmist even recognized this in Psalm 30. In verse 5 he says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

We will suffer sadness from pain, loss, rejection, adversity, exhaustion, and much more. On this side of the cross, we have Jesus with us. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The amazing part for us is that we have the source of joy and restoration living within us, if we are believers. Nothing can take that away. Romans 8 reminds us that there is no power in heaven, earth, or otherwise that can separate us from His love. If you’re looking for joy, that is a great place to start.

Happiness from our circumstances, possessions, relationships, or abilities will all fade at some point. Whether we simply get used to what we have, or we lose what we have, that fulfillment will only ever be temporary. But the joy that comes from Jesus is a joy that nobody can take away from us.

We will have tears in this life, but we have an enduring joy as our promise and hope. Where ever you may be today, remember that joy is coming.

James 1:2-3

”Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Almost all of us have lived through at least one moment in life where we just don’t know if we’ll make it through. Fear, pain, depression - whatever the struggle, those moments can be grueling and trying.

Joy may not seem like the natural response to trials and difficulties, but James reminds us that it should be. He encourages us to see trials as opportunities to grow in our faith and to rely on God's strength.

Just as we should recognize that sorrow will be a part of our life on this earth, it’s important to understand that trials and temptations will be part of our reality. We won’t be able to run away from experiencing trials, but we do have one option: we can trust in Jesus and His joy that never leaves us.

When we trust in God and rely on Him, we can experience joy even in the midst of difficult circumstances. This type of joy is not a fleeting happiness, but a deep sense of peace and contentment that comes from knowing that God is in control.

When we face trials, we can choose to focus on our circumstances or we can choose to focus on God's presence and power. When we choose the latter, we will experience the joy that James speaks of.

When you experience trials, ask for supernatural joy.

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.”

In this verse, the Psalmist is speaking about the joy that comes from being in the presence of God. The Psalmist recognizes that God is the source of true joy and that being in his presence brings eternal pleasure and satisfaction.

Don’t miss that important element. Where does joy come from? It comes from being in God’s presence.

How can we look for ways to abide in God’s presence more? There are a number of ways that we can devote ourselves to God’s presence. But there are three good starting points:

• Devote yourself to prayer. Adopt a lifestyle of prayer. Daniel prayed 3 intentional times every day (Daniel 6:10). Jesus made a point to break away from the crowds and pray in solitude to rest and recover (Luke 5:16).

• Devote yourself to the Word. When we spend time in the Bible, we are learning about who God is and what He has done for us. Since the Bible is the inspired Word of God, when we read it and study it and memorize it, we are putting His very words into our hearts and minds.

• Devote yourself to the gathering. The Bible tells us that where two or three are gathered, God’s presence dwells specially there as well (Matthew 18:20). When we commit to living life together with other like-minded believers, we can seek God’s presence together.

This joy that comes from being in God's presence is not dependent on our circumstances or the things happening around us.

We experience this fullness of joy when we’re abiding in the life-giving truths and practices of the Lord. When we’re regularly in His word, approaching him in earnest prayer, and gathering with His people, we will know joy that surpasses all else. Look for ways to abide in His presence today.

Buy the Printable Companion to This Post

Help your children learn the power of biblical joy. The Bible is full of important reminders for experiencing the joy that comes from God alone. Included here are 7 key verses for study.

This printable comes with devotional content so that you can work on learning about biblical joy each day with your child, as well as activity guides for children of all ages, and memory aids to help memorize Nehemiah 8:10.

Those are a few of my favorite verses about joy in the Bible, but there are loads more verses in the Bible discussing joy and being joyful.

More Bible Verses About Joy

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (CSB): “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

  • Here we see that we should find a reason to rejoice in all things, in prayer and thankfulness. It may be easier said than done sometimes, but by the grace of God we can get there!

• 1 Peter 1:8 (CSB): “Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy”

  • Here we see the source of joy: saving faith in Jesus and the expectant hope we have in his returning. And remember the context of 1 Peter—Peter is writing to the persecuted saints scattered throughout the Roman empire. And yet their joy remained!

• Psalm 100:1-2 (CSB): “Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

  • This is a great Psalm of thanksgiving, and a great reminder to come before the Lord with joy. We may not always have joy in our circumstances, but we can approach the Lord with joy in thanksgiving for his good provision. The more we make this a habit, the more that the Lord’s joy will penetrate our hearts.

• Psalm 47:1 (NIV): “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

  • The Psalms are a great resource for learning to approach God with a joyful spirit, and the joy depicted here permeates the whole self! Clap your hands with joy in the presence of the Lord!

• Proverbs 10:28 (CSB): “The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”

  • What the righteous hold in hope will come to fruition with joy. So our faithfulness and fellowship of God will bring joy as part of our reward. So joy is tied to our obedience—imagine that!

• Psalm 94:19 (NIV): “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy”

  • The Lord cares for us deeply, especially when we are hurting and our soul is anxious. When we turn to him, he will console us and replace our fears with joy. God is good!

• Psalm 5:11 (CSB): “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May you shelter them, and may those who love your name boast about you.”

  • When we take refuge in the Lord, we can rejoice because we know that he is holding us in his hands. What greater source of joy could there be than a closeness with the Lord?

• Luke 2:10 (CSB): “But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people”

  • What is the news of great joy? What else but Jesus, God incarnate, come in the flesh to rescue us from the consequences of our sins and call us to a life of godliness, walking with him.

• Romans 12:12 (CSB): “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.”

  • Here again we see that we can rejoice in the hope we have in Jesus. Notice also that Paul reminds us that we should be patient in our affliction (remember James 1 that we discussed above) and persistent in prayer (here we can recall his encouragement to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5.

• Psalm 98:7-8 (CSB): “Let the sea and all that fills it, the world and those who live in it, resound. Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains shout together for joy.”

  • It’s hard to think of a better way to end this list than the idea that all of creation resounds with joy at the glory of the Lord. So not only do we find our joy in God, but creation itself delights and rejoices in the glory of God. What joy, indeed!