In many Bible texts, we are called to rejoice! This article has collected 10 Bible quotes about joy.[1]
1. Psalm 92:1-4
Sometimes joy is evoked by the good and beautiful things in daily life, that we thankfully receive as a gift from God.
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
to declare Your steadfast love in the morning,
and Your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your work;
at the works of Your hands I sing for joy.”
2. Psalm 65:11-13
Not only humans, but all of creation rejoices in God’s goodness!
“You crown the year with Your bounty;
Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.”
3. Psalm 4:7
Another source of deep joy is our relationship with the Lord God. This exceeds the joy about earthly blessings.
“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”
4. Psalm 21:6
“For You make him most blessed forever; You make him glad with the joy of Your presence.”
5. Nehemiah 8:10
This joy in the Lord is also called “our strength”. It can prevent being overwhelmed by daily life problems, or by sorrow about our sin.
“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
6. Habakkuk 3:17-18
This joy can even be experienced in times of trouble:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
7. Romans 5:2-5
“… we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.”
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
This joy is not just an emotion that we experience, it is a command:
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
John 16:23-24
But we need not “produce” this joy on our own. That would be impossible. This joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and is given to us by Jesus. As He promised:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full”
10. 1 Peter 1:3-9
A Christian’s joy is deep, lasting, and glorious because it has its source in God’s deep, lasting, and glorious love.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.