By: Holly Rotalsky

Do you long to have joy in your life?  Have you been searching for true happiness that remains and does not change circumstantially?  I believe every person has a desire to feel joy and to find satisfaction in life, but many have tried everything the world has to offer and have continued to be disappointed and unfulfilled.  If you have suffered from hopelessness, depression and despair there is an answer to your problem, there is a way to find the joy you have always been longing for.    


The key to finding joy, the answer to which you seek is found in God.  The prescription to your sadness, hopelessness and despair is God.  God is the source of joy and love and in finding God all your needs will be met.  All the things you long for, all the places inside you where you feel empty and unsatisfied can be made whole and complete through knowing and encountering God.  God the Father, Jesus His Son and His Spirit want to encounter you with more joy and love than you can even imagine.  God wants to fill the empty places inside of you with His love and joy so that you no longer need to look to anything in this world or any other person to get that need met.  


I have searched to find happiness in what the world has to offer and I can tell you that I have never truly been satisfied.  Nothing in this world has quenched the longing for something more, the desire to experience true joy, peace and love apart from God.  Everything in the world has left me feeling empty, incomplete inside and kept me longing for something more, something that is real.  I found there are things in this world that provide temporary moments of happiness and joy, but never seem to fully satisfy or last.  There was always something missing, a void or emptiness inside that nothing or no one can fill apart from God.  I believe I am not the only one who has searched to find true joy, I believe it is a longing in the heart of every person on the planet, to find joy and happiness in order to be made complete.


I can say that after tasting what the world has to offer I have never found true joy until I found God.  I longed to find true happiness that remains, not a temporary feeling that would pass and only when I searched for God did I find this lasting joy.  I found what I was searching for and missing my whole life.  I found the source of all joy, I found the love and happiness that completes me, making me whole in God.


I experienced a lot situations in my life that brought great tragedy, sorrow, loss and grief that made me long to replace those feelings with joy.  At the age of 1 my father died from cancer and then when I was only 5 years old my mother died in a car accident.  Needless to say, at a very young age I was faced with loss, grief, sadness and abandonment.  I went through life experiencing several other painful circumstances as I am sure many others can relate to and possibly have experienced much worse than I have, but through hardship and suffering the one thing I longed for was to find joy and happiness.  


As I walked through life I was searching for what brought true happiness and only when I met God did I encounter the fullness of joy that was greater than anything a person could bring me.  When I met God only then did I find what I was looking for.  As I spent time praying, reading about God in the Bible and spending time in His Presence, I experienced happiness that did not come from within me, but from God Himself.  This happiness, this joy filled me inside.  This joy came from God to me.  When I prayed for God’s Presence to fill me, with it came joy.  Not just any joy, but the deepest, most real joy there is.  


There is no greater joy or love found apart from God.  God is the source of joy, the source of love and life itself, everything else pales in comparison to God’s joy and love.  Once I started a relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son of God and Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God), I found completion, wholeness and every longing in my life was satisfied.  


There is an emptiness and a void in every pleasure the world has to offer apart from God and that is why true joy is never found without finding God.  Joy that remains, joy that is real and true comes from God.  


I know there are so many people around the world suffering from sadness, depression, hopelessness, despair, rejection, loneliness, sorrow, grief, loss, death, tragedy and may feel they have no meaning in this life, but there is hope and joy available in God.  God the Father, Jesus His Son and His Spirit the Holy Spirit are the answers to all the problems every person on the planet faces today.  No matter the situation or circumstance, God cares for every person and desires everyone to know Him, His Son and His Spirit.  God desires to take away all the pain, all the suffering, sadness, despair and hopelessness by you feeling His Presence and with God’s Presence comes joy, love, peace and hope.  


Once you encounter the Presence of God you will experience His joy and His love because that is the very nature, the attribute and character of God.  God is joy, God is love and when you encounter Him you feel His joy and His love for you.  Through relationship with God you can know this joy and love for yourself.  


My prayer and desire is that each person that comes across this blog would experience joy that remains through encountering God themselves.  I pray you feel the greatest joy you have ever known through communion and relationship with God the Father, His Son Jesus and Holy Spirit.


In the rest of this article I share the different passages of scriptures found in the Bible that talk about the joy of the Lord, how to find it and why we need the joy of the Lord.  These scriptures confirm to us that there really is fullness of joy found in the Presence of God.  I encourage you to read and meditate on these scriptures on joy and ask Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit to fill you with the joy of the Lord found in Him.  I pray you are overwhelmed, overcome, satisfied, made complete and whole by the joy and love of God.

 

Below are Great Scriptures on Joy:

 1 Chronicles 16:27 (NLT) 27 Honor and majesty surround him; strength and joy fill his dwelling.”  

1 Chronicles 16:31-33 (NLT) “31 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” 32 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! 33 Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth.” 

2 Chronicles 29:30 (NLT)“30 King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship.” 

Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) “10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Esther 8:16 (NLT) “16 The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere.”

Job 8:21 (NLT) 21 He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”

Job 33:26 (NLT) “26 When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing.”

Job 38:6-8 (NLT) What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”

Psalm 4:7 (NLT) You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.”

Psalm 5:11 (NLT)  11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.  Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.”

Psalm 9:2 (NLT) I will be filled with joy because of you.  I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.”

Psalm 16:11 (NLT) 11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

Psalm 19:8 (NLT) The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.”

Psalm 21:6  (NLT) You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence.”

Psalm 22:26 (NLT) 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied.  All who seek the Lord will praise him.  Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.

Psalm 28:7 (NLT) The Lord is my strength and shield.  I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”

Psalm 30:5 (NLT) For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Psalm 30:11 (NLT) “11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.  You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

Psalm 32:1 (NLT) Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!”

Psalm 32:2 (NLT) Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”

Psalm 33:12 (NLT) 1What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.”

Psalm 34:5 (NLT) Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”

Psalm 34:8 (NLT) Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!”

Psalm 40:4 (NLT) Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.”

Psalm 40:8 (NLT) I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”

Psalm 40:16 (NLT) 16 But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”

Psalm 41:1 (NLT) Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.”

Psalm 43:4 (NLT) 4There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!”

Psalm 45:7 (NLT) You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”

Psalm 46:4 (NLT) A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High.”

Psalm 47:1 (NLT) Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!”

Psalm 51:12 (NLT) 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.”

Psalm 59:16 (NLT) 16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.  Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.  For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.”

Psalm 63:5 (NLT) You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.

Psalm 63:7 (NLT) Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.”

Psalm 65:4 (NLT) What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.”

Psalm 65:8 (NLT) Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.”

Psalm 66:1 (NLT) Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!”

Psalm 67:4 (NLT) Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.

Psalm 68:3 (NLT) But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy.”

Psalm 68:6 (NLT) God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

Psalm 70:4 (NLT) But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

Psalm 84:2 (NLT) I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.”

Psalm 84:5 (NLT) What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.”

Psalm 84:12 (NLT) 1O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.”

Psalm 89:15 (NLT) 15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.”

Psalm 90:14 (NLT) 14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.”

Psalm 92:4 (NLT) You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.”

Psalm 94:12 (NLT) 12 Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.”

Psalm 95:1 (NLT) Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.”

Psalm 96:12 (NLT) 12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy.”

Psalm 97:11 (NLT) 11 Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.”

Psalm 98:4 (NLT) Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!”

Psalm 98:8 (NLT) Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!  Let the hills sing out their songs of joy.”

Psalm 100:2 (NLT) Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.”

Psalm 105:43 (NLT) 43 So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing.”

Psalm 106:3 (NLT) There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.”

Psalm 107:22 (NLT) 22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.”

Psalm 112:1 (NLT) Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.”

Psalm 118:15 (NLT) 15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.  The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!”

Psalm 119:1 (NLT) 1  Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.”

Psalm 119:2 (NLT) Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.”

Psalm 119:143 (NLT) 143 As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.”

Psalm 126:2 (NLT) We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”

Psalm 126:3 (NLT) Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!”

Psalm 126:5 (NLT) Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”

Psalm 127:5 (NLT) How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.”

Psalm 128:1 (NLT) How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways!”

Psalm 128:2 (NLT) You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.  How joyful and prosperous you will be!”

Psalm 132:9 (NLT) May your priests be clothed in godliness; may your loyal servants sing for joy.”

Psalm 132:16 (NLT) 16 I will clothe its priests with godliness; its faithful servants will sing for joy.”

Psalm 144:15 (NLT) 15 Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.”

Psalm 145:7 (NLT) Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.”

Psalm 146:5 (NLT) But joyful are those who have the God of Israel[a] as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”

Psalm 149:5 (NLT) Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.”

Proverbs 2:10 (NLT) 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.”

Proverbs 3:13 (NLT) 13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.”

Proverbs 8:32 (NLT) 32  And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful.”

Proverbs 12:20 (NLT) 20 Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!”

Proverbs 13:9 (NLT) The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.”

Proverbs 16:20 (NLT) 20 Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.”

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NLT) 26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him…”

Isaiah 12:3 (NLT) With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!”

Isaiah 29:19 (NLT) 19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord.  The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”

Isaiah 30:29 (NLT) 29 But the people of God will sing a song of joy, like the songs at the holy festivals. You will be filled with joy, as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord—to the Rock of Israel.”

 

Isaiah 35:2 (NLT) Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.  There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God.”

Isaiah 35:10 (NLT) 10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.  They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.”

Isaiah 49:13 (NLT) 13 Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.”

Isaiah 52:8 (NLT) The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 55:12 (NLT) 12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!”

Isaiah 56:7 (NLT) I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Isaiah 61:3 (NLT) To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.”

Isaiah 61:7 (NLT) Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

Isaiah 61:10 (NLT) 10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.  I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding  or a bride with her jewels.”

Isaiah 65:18 (NLT) 18 Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy.”

Jeremiah 30:19 (NLT) 19 There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them.

Jeremiah 31:13 (NLT) 13 The young women will dance for joy, and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy.  I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.”

Jeremiah 31:25 (NLT) 25 For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”

Jeremiah 33:9 (NLT) Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.”

Jeremiah 33:11 (NLT) 11 the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good. His faithful love endures forever!’ For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.”

Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT) 17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Malachi 4:2 (NLT) But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.  And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

Matthew 3:16-17 (NLT) 16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

John 15:11 (NLT) 1I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

John 17:13 (NLT) 13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.” 

John 20:20 (NLT) 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!”

Acts 2:28 (NLT) 28 You have shown me the way of life,and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.”

Acts 13:52 (NLT) 52 And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 14:17 (NLT) “17 but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”

Romans 5:2 (NLT) Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

Romans 14:17 (NLT) 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 (NLT) 13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT) 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Galatians 5:22 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”

Philippians 1:4 (NLT) Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy.”

Philippians 1:25 (NLT) 25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.”

Philippians 2:17 (NLT) 1But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.”

Philippians 2:18 (NLT) 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.”

Philippians 2:29 (NLT) 29 Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve.”

Philippians 4:1 (NLT) Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.”

Philippians 4:4 (NLT) Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”

Colossians 1:11 (NLT) 11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,”

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NLT) So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 3:9 (NLT) How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NLT) 16 Always be joyful.”

Philemon 1:7 (NLT) Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.”

Hebrews 12:2 (NLT) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

1 Peter 1:6 (NLT) So be truly glad.  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.”

1 Peter 1:8 (NLT) You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.”

1 Peter 4:13 (NLT) 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.”

1 John 1:4 (NLT) “We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

Jude 1:24 (NLT) 24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.”