Joy is defined as a noun as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. That's a pretty wonderful feeling. For some of us it might be easy to see it in our childhoods, or in the life of our own child. They have joy all the time. Children bounce back quickly from many things that as adults we might tend to dwell on. Think back when was the last time you felt joy?
Let's look at some verses for joy in the bible!
Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Psalm 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but
rejoicing comes in the morning.
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.
Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Isaiah 12:6
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Nehemiah 8:10
King James Version (KJV)
10 Then
he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and
send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is
holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
We see in the verses that joy is often accompanied by peace, encouragement, and in song. The joy of the Lord is your strength stands out to me the most of these verses. How do you feel when you are joyful? You feel strong, confident, at peace, etc. Joy is a powerful thing it can change a person with a downcast heart into a glowing, smiling, confident person that is contagious to others. It brings life where ever it goes. Joy is like a light in a dark place!
When we lack joy often we feel tired, discouraged, distracted and lost. It's in that place we need God most. Since He is our provider of joy how can we get it? Lets find a few ways!
If joy is lacking in my life there are a few things I tend to do to get myself back on track. Here we go...
1. Sing and listen to praise and worship music. (You can't help but be uplifted as positive, joyful, Godly music pours into your soul. You have probably heard you are what you eat, well it applies to our media consumption as well.)
2. Read Psalms in the Bible. (These chapters and verses are once again praising God and they lift our spirit by reading positive, encouraging and of course the Word of God.)
3. Let worry go and focus on the things you are thankful for. (Starting the day thanking God for the many blessings you have like running water, electricity, heat, air conditioning, food, eyes that can see, that you can breathe is a great place to start every day!)
4. Pray! (Realize that life is not hopeless! God is in control and He is listening to you!)
So if you are going through one of those tough seasons in life find your way back to the Word of God, pray, praise, worship, and thank Him! He is still there no matter what season you are in!
