Are you joyful or are you happy? It is important to differentiate these two emotions or feelings as they are actually different. Happiness is momentary whereas joy is a matter of the heart.
The dictionary defines happiness as the “state of being happy.” Happy means being “delighted, pleased, or glad over a particular thing.” Joy means “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying” and “a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.” Being joyful means “full of joy, as a person or one's heart.”
Now let’s look at what the Bible says about joy. When I looked up the word “joy,” 333 verses came up! But today, I want to emphasize the two that I believe to be the most important ones:
The Joy of the Lord is Your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10: 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!”
I encourage you to read the story of Nehemiah to learn how God sent him to rebuild the walls around the city of Judah that had been destroyed by their enemies. It was a monumental task that took an immense amount of effort, but they rebuilt it in only 52 days, only with God’s help. On the day of celebration, the people were tired and unhappy. Nehemiah told them to not be sad and to recognize that the joy of the Lord is the source of their strength. And that hasn’t changed today. The joy of the Lord is supernatural and when it fills our hearts, it gives us supernatural strength to go on and face whatever life throws at us.
Jesus endured the cross because of the joy awaiting him.
Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 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. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
That same joy that comes directly from God was the source of strength that helped Jesus go through the process of the dying on the cross. Jesus knew that after the suffering came His reward—our salvation and eternity in heaven with Him. We are each His reward! And that is how He was able to get through it all. If Jesus endured crucifixion because of the joy as His source of strength, we also can bear our lives’ struggles.
It is okay to be happy and enjoy life… But it is better to live with joy in your heart and share it with others. I leave you with Scriptures to lift you up and fill your heart with the joy that comes from the Lord:
Deuteronomy 16:15 For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.
1 Chronicles 16:33 Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth.
Psalm 19:8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
Psalm 28:7 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 32:2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Psalm 41:1 For the choir director: A psalm of David. Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
Psalm 89:15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.