The word joy is found throughout the Old Testament. There are several Hebrew words for joy. Meanings range from gladness, happiness and joy to mirth, rejoicing, singing, shouting and dancing. In the Greek of the New Testament the words for joy encompass the sense of cheerfulness, gladness and of having greet joyfulness.

God wants our joy to be full: “Hitherto have ye asked me nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24; KJV). Nehemiah tells us that: “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10).

Things in our daily life may cause us joy but our true joy comes from God (Ps 16:11); in fact, as Christians, we can enter into God’s joy (Ps 51:12; 1 Peter 1:8; Matt 25:21).

This joy is founded in knowing who we are in Christ (2 Cor 5:21), our security in him (Heb 13:5), what we have in him (2 Cor 5:17), his love (Eph 3:19). “In thy presence is fullness of joy” (Ps 16:11).

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). As we spend time with God, in his word and in prayer, drawing close to him and surrendering to him, the Holy Spirit works in us to bring this joy. No one can take our joy from us (John 16:22), unless we allow them to. This joy will under gird us in trials (James 1:2). Jesus went to the cross for the joy of knowing what his sacrifice would achieve (Heb  12:2).

Spend time with God today and let his joy rise up and overwhelm you.

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“The joy of the Lord is your strength”, wrote the prophet Nehemiah (Neh 8:10; KJV). In Isaiah (Isa 61:3) we read that God gives us: “the oil of joy for mourning”. Nothing can take our joy from us (John 16:22) and we can have joy even in trials (James 1:2). In the world people have joy when circumstances dictate but for us, we can always have joy as it is a fruit of the Spirit in us (Gal 5:22).

How do we get and grow our joy? Well, just like everything else in our Christian walk. As we study his word the Holy Spirit brings revelation or understanding of God’s joy (John 15:11). This revelation allows our faith to grow (Rom 10:17) so that we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit and allow him to develop the fruit of Joy in our lives.

In the Bible we see that joy comes to the good man (Eccl 2:26), to the person of humility (Isa 29:19) and as we seek intimacy with God; “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more” (Ps 16:11). Satan will try to steal our joy but he can’t if we cooperate with God (John 16:22). We may get down for a while but if we keep focused on God joy will well up in our spirits (Ps 30:5).

The joy of the Lord is my strength; sounds good to me.

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In Nehemiah 8:10 it is written: “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (KJV). Joy is a fruit of the Spirit in us (Gal 5:22); it will naturally well up in us as we allow God to inhabit us, as we focus on him and press in to him. It just has to be expressed.

From the definitions of the words used, the bible talks of its expression in dancing, spinning, cheering and singing (Hab 3:18; Psalm 30:5), despite our outward situation (Col 1:11; James 1:2). “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation: (Hab 3;18). “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2).

In Zephaniah 3:17 the picture is of God’s joy over his people expressed in wild spinning, dancing and singing.  Get alone with him and think on the goodness of God and allow God’s joy to well up in you and be expressed, it will do you a world of good and strengthen you. “For the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10).

If we all allowed God’s joy to well up in us how our corporate praise and worship at church would change.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others. 

"All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast" (Prov 15:15; KJV). To be afflicted is to be distressed, miserable and troubled Often our minds want to think on the wrong things, but the word says that we can train them to think on the right things (Rom 12:2). According to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we can take our thoughts captive and exchange negative thoughts with the word. We can have a have a merry heart despite what’s going on in our life.

The word has many positive things to say about rejoicing. In Proverbs 17:22 we are told that a "merry heart" acts like a medicine. Nehemiah the prophet wrote that: “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10).

The apostle Paul actually commands us to: "rejoice in the Lord alway” (Phil. 4:4). We find joy in God's presence (Psalm 16:11) and this joy is different from "happiness" which is based on our circumstances. Joy is also a fruit of the Spirit which develops as we spend time abiding in the vine or pressing into Jesus in prayer, fellowship and time in his word. Don’t let the devil steal your joy.

Please pass this on. All rights reserved.

Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.