Strong's Concordance - Rejoice: to laugh, to play, to make merry
Webster's Dictionary - Rejoice: to feel joy or great delight
Webster's Dictionary - Joyful: experiencing, causing, or showing joy
1. 1 Chronicles 16:10 - let those who seek the Lord rejoice
2. Psalm 5:11 - let those who trust in God rejoice
3. Psalm 16:8-11 - in His presence is fullness of joy
4. Psalm 20:5 - we rejoice in God and His salvation, in His name we set up our banners
5. Psalm 21:1 - our joy is in the Lord's strength
6. Psalm 30:5 - joy comes in the morning because in His favor is life
7. Psalm 31:7-8 - we rejoice for God knows our trouble and adversity
8. Psalm 32:10-11 - rejoice because of the Lord's mercy
9. Psalm 33:21 - rejoice, because you trust in His name
10. Psalm 35:9 - my soul will be joyful in the Lord's salvation
11. Psalm 40:16 - let those that seek the Lord rejoice
12. Psalm 43:3-5 - in His light and truth, we go unto God in joy and hope
13. Psalm 51:12 - our joy is in His salvation
14. Psalm 63:3-7 - we will praise Him with joyful lips because of his Help and lovingkindness
15. Psalm 70:4 - let those that seek the Lord rejoice
16. Psalm 90:14 - we rejoice because of the Lord's mercy
17. Psalm 95:1-2 - make a joyful noise with thanksgiving to the rock of our salvation
18. Psalm 97:1 - rejoice because the Lord reigns
19. Psalm 118:24 - rejoice because the Lord has made this day
20. Proverbs 12:20 - those who promote peace have joy
21. Ecclesiasties 3:4 - there is a time for everything, to laugh and dance
22. Isaiah 12:2-3 - we have joy because God is our salvation
23. Isaiah 51:3 - there is joy where the Lord rebuilds
24. Isaiah 61:3 - the Lord give joy for mourning
25. Isaiah 61:10 - our joy comes from God's salvation and righteousness
26. Jeremiah 15:16 - God's word is our joy
27. Joel 2:21 - do not fear, but rejoice, for the Lord will do great things
28. Habbakuk 3:17-19 - even when everything goes wrong, I will rejoice in God's salvation
29. John 15:11 - as we abide in God's love our joy will be full
30. John 16:22 - no man can take away the joy that Christ gives
31. Romans 5:10-11 - we have joy in God because of the atonement of God
32. Romans 12:12 - rejoice in hope through trials
33. Romans 12:15 - rejoice with those who rejoice
34. Romans 14:17 - the kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost
35. Romans 15:13 - our faith in Christ brings peace and joy
36. Galations 5:22- a fruit of the Spirit is joy
37. Philippians 4:4 - rejoice in the Lord always
38. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - rejoice forever, through prayer and thanksgiving
39. James 1:2-4 - there is joy even in trials, because trying our faith grows us
I found it interesting when I looked up the word "joy" in Webster's Dictionary, that it was defined as "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires." Unfortunately, that very conditional emotion is the only thing the world knows of joy, and is also our first instinct - our situation dictates our joy.
But in reading the scriptures you get such a different picture of joy. The joy of the Lord is not conditional by any means. In fact, I think Habbakuk 3:17-19 does a very good job of showing that even if everything is falling apart around you, you can still find joy in God. James reiterates that you should specifically choose joy when you go through trials, because the trying of your faith will build you and make you stronger. Our life is Christ is about so much more than just what we eat or drink, or what happens to us; it is about living a life of righteousness, peace, and joy through the Holy Spirit.
So, what do we find our joy in? In God, and in His name. It is because of who He is that we can have joy. In His presence, in His favor, in His strength, in His light and truth we find joy. In His Word, in His love, in His atonement of us, in His help and kindness we find joy. Those who seek and trust the Lord can find great joy no matter what is happening around them.
This joy in an outpouring of Christ through us as we abide in His love and are filled with His spirit. We rejoice because we know that God sees our troubles, and yet we rejoice even more because we know that God reigns and that He is our salvation. Even if there is brokenness, and messiness, and mistakes in your life, there will be great joy as God rebuilds, and take comfort knowing that He will change joy for mourning.
No matter what happens, through prayer and thanksgiving, we can experience joy always, and no one can take away the joy that comes from Christ.
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