9 Bible Verses About Joy
December 03, 2019

When times get tough, it is easy to turn inward and get angry. And even let that anger evolve into bitterness, resentment, sadness or other emotions that separate us from God. These emotions rob us of the promise of the abundance of joy God gave us because of His son’s death on the cross. So, what does joy look like in our lives? We hope these nine Bible verses about joy will inspire and encourage you in your walk with the Lord!
What is Biblical Joy?
Joy is the opposite of despair, misery, sorrow, and pain. The world is full of these negative emotions. But we can have joy in the midst of even the most difficult circumstances. Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” It's impossible to completely avoid sorrow in this life. Yet, we are promised joy will quickly follow if we put our faith in God. He will wipe away our tears and be our hope in our pain and suffering.
What is the difference between joy and happiness?
Happiness is a fleeting feeling that changes based on your personal circumstances. Happiness is also a temporary emotion that wavers among the many emotions we can experience. People try to achieve happiness by acquiring possessions, working hard and accomplishing tasks and trying to control people and relationships. Joy, on the other hand, is more than a feeling; it is a state of being.
RELATED: 11 Bible Verses About God's Love
How do you get joy?
Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...” Joy must be cultivated. As we plant the seeds of faith and hope in Christ in our lives, the fruit of joy grows. When that fruit is ripened in our lives, we can use it to nourish our souls and edify those around us.
How can I always be joyful?
1 Thessalonians 5: says, “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” By doing good to others, praying and living our lives in thanksgiving for all circumstances, we can always have the joy promised to us through Christ.
Proverbs 10:28- “The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.” There are moments when it is tempting to be jealous of those who live their lives separate from the Gospel and reap the benefits of a good life. But this is narrow-minded thinking. When we live a righteous life, we may not see the financial benefits of a posh life with Christ, but we reap the benefits of a life filled with joy—a characteristic non-believers live their lives without.
Nehemiah 8:10- Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” In this verse, the prophet Nehemiah declares that joy is the emotion to lean on during tough times. When we do this, our mourning will turn into joy. This seems counter-intuitive to the world. But to the Lord, it is His promise that when we follow Him, even mourning can be turned into joy.
Bible Verses On Joy
John 16:20- “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” Grief is a natural part of life. No matter how close we are to the Lord, we will still experience grief in this broken world. But it’s OK! According to this verse, the grief we experience will turn to joy, eventually. It may come slower than we would like. But God promises our grief is not a permanent destination, but only a part of the process.
John 16:22- “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” Our mourning and grief over losing a loved one can be turned into a source of joy. While non-believers grieve without hope because the future of their loved one’s soul hangs in the balance, we can be assured that those that place their faith and trust in the Lord grieve on this earth, but only temporarily. As they know they will be reunited with their loved ones in heaven.
Bible Verses About Joy
James 1:2-3: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” This is a tough verse to apply to our lives. When our life situation is the worst, how can we possibly respond with joy? Yet, responding with joy to the difficult trials of life is the way an unbelieving world gets to know God in a new way. When we respond in ways that are counterintuitive to the way the world looks at life, non-believers take notice. Unbelievers may never pick up a Bible, but they will understand the verses we apply to our lives.
Joy is a trait everyone is looking for in his/her life. When we can learn to live with joy, even the toughest circumstances will be ones we can respond to in a way that spreads the gospel message.
Galatians 5:22- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” When we have the Holy Spirit, we have joy. His is a gift from God for walking in obedience with Him. Fruit grows because it has been watered and has access to the sun. In the same way, we need to water the fruit in our lives through the Word of God and prayer. We also need access to the Son—through a deeper understanding and an intimate relationship through listening and practicing disciplines like fasting, journaling, etc.
Bible Verses Centered Around Joy
1 Peter 1:8-9: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Joy is not only a fruit of a life lived with Christ. It also results in salvation. When we choose joy over anger, bitterness, rage, malice, and gossip, we reap joy in our lives as well as other’s lives. To have joy we must have faith. Faith that God is who He says He is and has our wellbeing at heart.
2 John 1:12: “I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.” In this individualistic, technological age, it is easy to flip on a TV or podcast and pretend we are having true fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But did you know that true fellowship can only be achieved through actual relationships?
True Fellowship Fosters Joy
John wrote this to his church in the wake of a church split. John understood what it was like to have the comfort of his brothers and sisters in Christ around him. He also knew what it was like to have them leave because they didn’t like how he led the church. We cannot have joy without true fellowship. While social media may try to offer community, true community only happens within a context of the local church family.
Hebrews 12:2- “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” It is hard to believe that Jesus had joy when He had to endure the cross. Yet, it is clear that He did. He didn’t focus on the temporal pain of the cross, but rather what His death would accomplish for mankind forevermore.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 33 Birthday Bible Verses For A Sister
If we want to become more like Jesus, we must fix our eyes on what the pain in our lives accomplishes rather than on the temporal suffering that is refining us into who God wants us to be. When we give Christ his glory, non-believers will begin to ask us why we act with joy towards our circumstances rather than anger or pain.
Joy is not an easy fruit of the spirit to cultivate in our lives. However, joy is possible for all of us who believe. With faith, we can have joy even in the toughest of situations. Look to Jesus. Participate in the gift of true fellowship and choose joy rather than anger or rage. Then joy will be planted—and flourish—in our lives.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Long for Heaven - Your Daily Prayer - July 18
Do you look forward to heaven? If I am being honest, my heart can be so focused on the now and building my “earthly kingdom” that I often miss the joy of focusing my thoughts and heart on eternal joys.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Long for Heaven - Your Daily Prayer - July 18
Do you look forward to heaven? If I am being honest, my heart can be so focused on the now and building my “earthly kingdom” that I often miss the joy of focusing my thoughts and heart on eternal joys.
Past Stories
- Retiring Pilot's Family Surprises Him at Gate After His Final Flight
- Neighborhood Offers Support For 8-Year-Old Girl Who Lost Her Family in the Texas Floods
- They Adopted a New Pup, Then Discovered a Family Connection to Their Dog That Died
- Curious Young Child Who Crawled Into a Claw Machine is Rescued Soon After
- At 103, She’s Her Bowling Team’s Oldest and Most Cheerful Player
- Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Saves 165 People From Camp Mystic, 'I Was Just Doing My Job'
- He Lost His Whole Family to a Flood, Ten Years Later, He’s There for Others in Texas
- Two Texas Sisters Share About Surviving the Flood at Camp Mystic
- Brave 12-Year-Old Boy is Honored After Saving His Family From a House Fire
- A Daughter Finds Connection to the Father She Never Knew Who Died in Vietnam
- She’s Raising Two Sons with a Rare Condition—and Showing Others How They Thrive
- A Neighbor's Call Saves the Life of a Newborn Baby Whose Mom Had Passed Away
- After Months of Paralysis and a Ventilator, Mom Talks to Young Son and Tells Him 'I Love You'
- Shelter Dog Detects a Stranger's Medical Emergency and Becomes a Hero
- Grieving the Loss of Their Daughter, They Chose to Keep Fostering Hope
- Gloria and Bernice, Identical Twins Turn 100, Celebrate Decades of Memories
- Father of Three Dies After Being Struck By Lightning While On Golf Course
- Married 18 Years, Parents of 4 Are Both Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer
- He Lost His Wife. She Lost Her Husband. Together, They Found a New Beginning
- She Earned Her Degree, Then Gave Her Dad a Second Chance at Life
- They Were Told Their Pup Had Been Hit By a Car, 4 Years Later They Found Her Alive
- New York Soccer Coach Collapses On the Field, Parents Jump in to Save Him
- Community Gathers to Remember 12-Year-Old Girl Who Died in a Scooter Accident
- After Surviving Family Tragedies, Stroke, and Coma, Teen Walks in Her Graduation Ceremony
- Civilian Stops to Save Woman in a Burning Car, 'It Could Have Been My Mom'
- They Adopted a Baby Boy, Then Extended Extraordinary Grace to His Birth Mother
- Cancer Survivor Shocks Everyone With His 4th Lottery Win
- Brian Wilson, Co-Founder of the Beach Boys, Passes Away at 82
- Vietnam Vet Passes Away, His Mailman Rushes to Adopt His Dog
- 4-Year-Old Called a Hero After Teacher Collapses at Daycare, and She Knows Exactly What to Do
- After 100-Mile Journey, Including a Swim, Missing Golden Retriever Mix is Finally Back Home
- Life Delayed Her Dream, But Didn’t Deny it. At 88, She Became a Graduate, and Witness to God’s Timing
- Gary Sinise Opens Up About His Son’s Death and the Gift of Grandfatherhood
- Young Girl is Saved by Good Samaritan After Falling 15 Feet Into a Waterfall
- Retired Alaska State Trooper Helps Rescue Husband Pinned by 700-lb Boulder
- 9 Year Old Boy Saves Mom and Newborn Sister By Calling 911, 'My Mom Could Have Died'
- Police Escort Paralyzed Teen to Prom Years After Childhood Shooting
- Young Boy in Wheelchair Walks at His Kindergarten Graduation, Surprising His Family
- Woman Credits Her Faith After Tire Flies Through SUV Windshield in Near-Death Crash
- 98-Year-Old Twins Cherish Life, Love, and Faith While Living Next Door to One Another
- Airman Served in WW2, Now He is Finally Coming Home 81 Years After He Died
- Teens Are Heroes After Saving Family From Fire On Their Prom Night
- She Survived 3 Weeks Lost in the Wild, Fighting Off Animals and Snowstorms
- Triplets Graduate From Texas Tech Together, All Earning Degrees in Media and Communication
- She Lost Her Son's Baby Book, But It Was Returned to Her at the Right Moment
- Man and His Dog Reunited After Being Hit by Drunk Driver
- Nurse With Caring Spirit Says Yes to Dying Mother's Wish For Her Son, and It's Beautiful
- She Never Told Her Friends She Was the School Mascot, Then Shares Her Secret at Graduation
- Mom Donates Kidney to Daughter, Now They’re Graduating Nursing School Together
- Grieving Son Finds Kindness When Trying to Print a Photo of His Mother Who Just Passed Away
Top Artists
Top Music Videos

Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold

Bill and Gloria Gaither Guy Penrod's Stirring Live Performance of 'Then Came The Morning'

Comedian Nazareth Comedian Nazareth Hilariously Explains How Most Things In Life Revolve Around Food and Eating

Universal Music Group Dolly Parton, Blessing Offor Captivate In 'Somebody's Child' Official Video

chris rupp Chris Rupp’s Soul-Stirring A Cappella Version of 'Beautiful Savior' Is a Must-Listen
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.