My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end. Paul writes in First Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (ESV). In turn, spiritual joys elevate the secular happiness of believers. He is passionate about understanding the Bible and helping others do the same. All rights reserved. . There can be no true joy apart from God. Gordon does a good job explaining why joy is uniquely defined, and how it differs from happiness: “Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. Joy characterizes Israel's corporate worship life ( Deut 16:13-15 ; 2 Chron 30:21-22 )in which the individual participates: "I rejoiced with those who said to me,‘Let us go the house of the Lord'" ( Psalm 122:1 ).Whereas for the believer the secular joys common to human existence are distinguished from spiritual ones, they are not separated.   Google+, Copyright © 2019 HarperCollins Publishers. Joy can be sustained in both positive and negative circumstances. I hear them use the word “happiness” often, but almost never the word “glad”! For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. We hope you enjoyed these Bible verses about joy! This may sound like a strange principle, yet it has real validity. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. There is no way to be in the center of his will without living according to the word of God. Robert. . Reaching out with joy-filled reminders from the Word of God, these devotions will intimately and gently connect you with Jesus. The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology defines joy as “happiness over an unanticipated or present good.”[viii] The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines happiness as “a state of pleasure or joy experienced both by people and by God.”[ix] Happiness is joy. – Psalm 92:4-5 (NIV). ), joy as a religious emotion is very frequently referred to in the Old Testament. – 1 Peter 4:12-14 (NCV). He rejoiced in his understanding that God, His Father, could flatten any army, resolve any conflict, and confuse the plans of those who sought to kill him. Robert, “It means that we are to remain steadfast in our knowledge that God is our strength and comfort, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves”. (Ever had a hard time defining biblical joy? Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. The joy of the harvest is used to describe the believer's final victory over his adversaries ( Psalm126:5-6 ). Leave a comment – we’d love to hear from you. Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. Religion is conceived of as touching the deepest springs of emotion, including the feeling of exultant gladness which often finds outward expression in such actions as leaping, shouting, and singing. I really appreciate the connection between the two kinds of joy – one flows out of the other, and the other develops as we practice the one. Our message shouldn’t be “Don’t seek happiness,” but “You’ll find in Jesus the happiness and joy you’ve always longed for.”. Emotions that spring from right motives and that benefit those around us are good. Unexpected benefits from God are expressed in terms of common experiences. 10:8). What does the Bible say? Before starting my blog about pursuing joy, I spent time gaining a deeper understanding of biblical joy. Many times, after I’ve gone through something difficult or traumatic, I look back and realize the I had felt God’s presence the entire time I was going through the hardship. Each morning offers a devotional from bestselling women authors such as Sheila Walsh, Beth Moore, and Lysa Terkuerst, and the evening follows with applicable scriptures to complete the day. Visit his website at www.2t2ministries.org, Follow Fred Bittner on: God bless you. "Rejoice before Yahweh your God" is an oft-repeated phrase in De with reference to the sacrificial feast (e.g. Notice how the two main definitions of biblical joy are connected; rejoicing flows out of gladness in the Lord and our gladness in the Lord increases the more we rejoice. Or — I use the words interchangeably here — an emotion. But in Galatians 5:22, love and peace surround the word joy. In the times of King Hezekiah, the Israelites rededicated themselves to God and we read, “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem” (II Chronicles 30:26 ESV). Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. Happiness has definitely become a key value for our society, and it is causing a lot of problems. Here is what we learn from what the Bible says about joy. Dishonesty leads to guilt, and discouragement, while honesty breeds satisfaction, and peace. In English Versions of the Bible we have sometimes "to joy" (now obsolete as a verb), used in an intransitive sense = "to rejoice" (Habakkuk 3:18; 2 Corinthians 7:13, etc.). Whether you’re facing mundane routines or painful hardships, joy often feels out of reach. If you’ve found our resources to be helpful, we invite you to consider making a one-time or recurring donation. Read them in the archive below. Perhaps the idea of honesty doesn’t seem to fit with principles of joy, but let’s look at the opposite side briefly. I think the first thing we need to realize is that historically there was no such distinction in the church and in the English language. I feel this is among the such a lot important information for me. – Patti M. Hummel, Glorifying God. But joy is a Divine, as well as a human, emotion; for God Himself is represented in the Old Testament, not as a rigid, impassible Being, but as susceptible to pleasure and pain. Depicting joy in contrast with happiness has obscured the true meaning of both words. The restoration of Israel will be an occasion for joy ( Psalm 14:7 ) in which nature shares ( Psalm98:4-6 ). Sin can steal our joy. It’s our privilege and joy to share freely what God has so graciously given us. It is my privilege and honor to serve God in my writing ministry. For example, say you are going campin… What about Christian dictionaries? Joy expresses the relationship between the apostle and his congregations and an opportunity for thanksgiving ( Rom 15:32 ; Php 2:28 ), with each rejoicing in the other. He is convinced that the hope of the world lies in men and women having a saving relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. These Bible verses prove there is no greater place to live than in the center of God’s will. They started trouble against Paul and Barnabas and forced them out of their area. We see this in the writings of several New Testament authors: Interested in reading more related posts? – Psalm 71:23, Singing, clapping, and shouting are all a part of joyful worship. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” – Luke 6:22-23 (NIV). Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. – Ronald f. Youngblood, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Thanks for stopping by! Psalms 97:12; 149:2; Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 10:7). 4. Nella, I never thought about the fact that “gladness” is a closer synonym for “joy” than “happiness” is. Peter and John found their scourging an occasion for "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" ( Acts 5:41 ).Suffering brings joy as believers are united with Christ in his suffering ( 1 Peter 4:13-14 ).Paul speaks of his joy in the midst of affliction ( 2 Cor 7:4-16 ). When things are difficult, there is no joy. Is There a Difference Between Happiness and Joy. I didn’t realize there were so many different Greek and Hebrew words for joy! But it does mean that, by trusting in God’s power and promise, we have a confident hope that He will see us through whatever difficulties we face in life. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. God bless you and your family also, Derek. Privacy Policy. { 18 comments… read them below or add one }. Joy, in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. If things are going well, there is joy.

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