15 Beautiful Bible Verses About Joy and Happiness

Bible verses about joy remind every believer to look ahead and find joy in the knowledge that our God is able.

Finding joy is not always easy, especially when things don’t go our way. We often mistake joy for happiness. However, joy is a much deeper feeling. As Christians, joy should be our goal. The kind of joy that we not only embrace when things are convenient for us. Rather, it should be a kind of joy that emanates within us regardless of what we are facing. 

The world tries to define joy in its own words and likewise tries to offer an alternative to the great joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. But what does the Bible say about joy? Find out what joy means from a Christian perspective and the Bible verses that speak of the divine joy offered by God to His believers.

What are Bible Verses about Joy?

When we face trials, we are prone to wander and there are instances when we would trade committing disobedience for a few minutes of an attempt to experience joy. 

Bible verses about joy give hope to the downhearted and uplift the weary. The scriptures remind every believer to look ahead and find joy in the knowledge that our God is able. We can all be knowledgeable about the power and strength of Christ but this knowledge should be applied in our lives. The joy the Bible speaks of can only be made perfect in complete trust and obedience.

What Does the Bible Say About Joy?

Joy is a mark of a Christian. The Bible speaks of joy as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, it also speaks of Christ finding joy in us when our soul clings to Him. Luke 15:7 says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.“

Joy is focusing not on our circumstances but the grandeur of God’s eternal love and omnipotence. Joy, according to the Bible, is dependent on God and comes in constantly choosing to remain in His steadfast love regardless of what life throws at us. It is futile to only have joy when life is good. Is God only God when our prayers are answered? No.

Best Bible Verses about Joy

Bible verses about joy were also discussed under several contexts: strength in God’s joy, finding joy in Christ, joy that comes with salvation, joy amidst trials, and the wisdom of joy.

The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

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.”

There is nothing a Christian should aim for more than gaining the joy of the Lord. People and wealth will perish and we may lose all we have, our physical strength including. Others may draw their strength from a prominent someone who favors them. Would you rather gain the favor of someone in exchange for God? 

One could never fully rejoice in the Lord without gaining favor from Him. There is no greater joy for the Lord than seeing His children return to Him after being led astray. We should all find strength in whatever we are facing just by knowing that God rejoices whenever we choose to trust Him even though everything and everyone tells us not to. 

Psalm 126:5-6

“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

There may be tears and doubts, and the road may look awry. In all of these, we may lose the joy that keeps us pursuing the will of Christ. However, greatly rejoice in situations such as this because they are a good opportunity to prove our faith. 

Find joy in knowing that God is never deaf to our prayers and never blind to our conditions. All our affliction and all of life’s hardships can never compare to the joy and glory that is to come in Christ. 

Fear not and never let your spirit grow weak while waiting for the Lord. Keep the faith and the joy in serving Him steady. The love that God showed us on the cross is never conditional. 

Luke 15:10

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

As Christians, our joy should not be fixed on getting the approval of other people but on God’s. We should aim for nothing less than being worth rejoicing in heaven. Indeed, the joy of the Lord is my strength – our strength. 

The strength that comes from having the joy of the Lord surpasses human understanding. It is knowing that even though this life cannot be rid of problems, we, as believers, won’t be facing them alone. It is the kind of joy that stems from the assurance that though the wicked come our God is a mighty warrior who will see us through. Our hearts shall sing for joy in His loving embrace.

Joy in the Lord

Psalm 37:4

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Take joy in the Lord and in serving Him. Remember that joy is contagious! One will never know how many lives they may have inspired by leading a joyous Christian life. Not only joy is contagious but it is also an excellent lifestyle. It keeps one optimistic, focused, and not easily swayed by life’s challenges. 

Sometimes, taking delight in the Lord is not an easy road but we were assured in Matthew 6:33 that we only need to seek God first and everything else will follow.

Psalm 94:19

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Only God can erase our doubts. Being free of worry, fear, and doubt is a prerequisite to fully experiencing the glorious joy in the Lord. The good news is that the source of our joy is also the one who can console us amidst life’s challenges. 

The same love He had for us before will never diminish and is always readily available along with the divine joy that comes from Him. To claim this, we must also make ourselves available for Him.

John 16:24

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

The easiest way to experience the joy of the Lord? Pray. However, do it by not merely asking but asking while believing. The Holy Bible tells us in a myriad of passages how important it is to pray continually and not only if it is convenient for us. Our joy will never be complete if we continue to withhold our burdens from God. The Holy Spirit can only reside in us if we invite it to – if we are willing to adjust our lives accordingly. Ask, believe, and experience the full joy that only God can bring!

The Joy of Salvation

3 John 1:4

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

The price for our sins was paid on the cross, making salvation available for us sinners. This alone should uplift our crushed spirit and bring tremendous joy to us. However, our heavenly relationship with Jesus Christ is not one-way. 

We likewise, as every child should, must do our part to bring joy to the Almighty Father. We can do so by doing, speaking, and thinking about what God wants us to do so. Our salvation was bought with a high price, let us not take it for granted but let us make it our goal for the heavenly hosts to sing for joy with every good deed we do.

Psalm 70:4

“But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”

It is impossible to know of God’s saving grace and salvation without feeling extreme joy. Imagine Christ came down and died to show His love to a generation of sinners. This is indeed the best exemplification of love! 

Those who seek the Lord, do not only find Him but find joy as well along with the other fruits of the Holy Spirit such as love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God did not promise a life without trials but having the joy of the Lord makes the trials bearable and we can indeed shout aloud, “The Lord is great!”.

John 15:11

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

The Holy Bible speaks of the salvation God offers along with many other written manifestations of His unfathomable power. Throughout the Bible, we are being given every reason to greatly rejoice. The scriptures remind us of these things so that we may never be without a joyful heart. 

Looking for a reason to have joy? The salvation that comes from God is one of the best! Whenever you feel like joy is out of your reach, scan your favorite Bible verses about joy, for the Word of God provides eternal pleasures and joy for everyone. 

Joy in Trials

The testing of our faith happens when we face trials. Joy may feel out of reach in our lowest of lows. However, in Christ Jesus, joy is never and will never be out of reach.

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.”

As children of God, we must see life’s challenges with eyes of faith and consider them in light of God’s divine purpose. Simply said, when various temptations and tribulations swarm into your lives, welcome them as they are the testing of your faith. Sing for joy when trials arise and do not cower! Meet trials with a Christian mindset. The Lord saves! Faith produces steadfastness!

Psalm 63:6-7

“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.”

We cannot claim for God to be in our lives yet still let fear and doubt triumph over us. The challenges of life offer all the reasons why we should abandon God. Is our faith shallow enough to forsake Him when things get rough? 

While the world offers us terror and confusion, God offers great joy. An inexpressible and glorious joy that comes in knowing that we take refuge in God. The same God who parted the waters for His children, provided food from above to satisfy their hunger and poured water from the rock.

2 Corinthians 6:10

“Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

Christians can be sorrowful yet rejoice as they await God’s bigger purpose. Poor but making others rich not in earthly possessions but in the word of God as they share His gospel. Lastly, they may have nothing in this temporal world yet have access to God’s eternal riches. These are indeed very good reasons to sing for joy!

The Wisdom of Joy

Ecclesiastes 2:26

“To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Those who find great joy in doing God’s will gain wisdom along with the other fruits of the Holy Spirit. This wisdom entails the reality that while the rewards for our faith and obedience to God are not always given to us in the moment we want and in the manner we expect, we are knowledgeable and assured that it will come – maybe not in this lifetime but in what is to come.

Proverbs 3:13

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”

Some know the Bible yet lack understanding. They are merely reading and memorizing but never applying it to the lives they lead. There is no joy in this. Our hearts can only rejoice in the power of the Lord once we walk by faith and obedience. Understanding should always go hand in hand with the application. Remember that wisdom comes with experience, and experiencing God always comes with joy.

Proverbs 17:22

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Understanding joy and choosing to have joy can change a lot in our lives. To have great joy is a choice. While God offers us this inexpressible and glorious joy, it is dependent on us whether or not we choose to experience it or remain downhearted. 

There is wisdom in understanding the importance of having a willing spirit as a gateway to experiencing the great joy of God. A willing spirit to trust God and make Him the ultimate source of our joy. 

How to Find Joy in Life?

The answer to this is easy – find God first. There are many ways in doing so, reading the Bible, praying continually, and working on strengthening one’s faith among many others. If we walk in the path of the Lord, great joy becomes accessible to us as we become recipients of God’s blessings, love, and help.

How to Keep a Joyful Heart?

Keeping a joyful heart amidst trials is never easy. It is a constant test of our faith and commitment to God. To keep a joyful heart, we must never falter to choose to have faith and remain in the joy that comes from trusting God. When our soul clings to His promises, nothing can move us and doubt cannot take hold of us. Remember that joy and doubt cannot coexist in a Christian’s life as this is an indication of doubting that God can deliver us.

In Summary

Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit that is freely given to us. As Christians, there are pleasures forevermore and more joy in hearing the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”, than all the earth and its riches combined. There is no joy apart from God. We have every reason to sing for joy and make a joyful noise for the God who promised is ever-faithful. Reading Bible verses about joy is a great reminder for Christians to always find joy in Jesus Christ.