What does the Bible teach about joy?

from the old testament

• “Joy” is an internal state grounded in God’s character and promises. Because God is unchanging (Malachi 3:6), everything He promises will happen (Isaiah 46:10). Therefore, when one thinks rightly about God, joy is the believer’s settled state, regardless of what happens around them.
• David contemplated his death but looked to the future, and said, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:9–11). David could find joy despite his difficulties (Psalm 16:1–8) because he was focused on God rather than his circumstances. See also Psalm 27:1 and Psalm 46:1–2 for other examples of joy in the face of difficulties.
• We can have such joy because God is good. The prophet Habakkuk lived at a time when God was judging Israel for her wickedness, and the times were severe. After being reminded about God’s character (Habakkuk 2), he wrote a Psalm that ended with “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places” (Habakkuk 3:17–19). Joy comes from knowing that one’s strength and salvation come from the God who cannot be stopped (Job 42:2) and is sovereign over all (Psalm 115:3).
• While believers do have true, settled joy in this life, this life is still hard. That is why the prophets looked forward to a future joy that would be both internally grounded in the knowledge of God and externally experienced, as God would remove all pain. Isaiah said, “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).

from the new testament

• Believers are all given the Holy Spirit when they are saved (Romans 8:9), and, among other things, He produces the fruit of righteousness within us. One such fruit is joy (Galatians 5:22–23). The Spirit, then, is helping us to think about and know God better so that we come to have greater and greater joy in this life.
• Not only does God grow joy in believers, but believers are also commanded to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). Joy, then, is not something for which the believer is to passively wait. Instead, he or she is to cultivate a heart of joy. Because joy comes from knowing God, reading Scripture, praying, and going to church are all ways for a believer to become more joy-filled.
• The believer’s joy is ultimately grounded in the knowledge that he or she has been saved from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9) and will therefore have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus sent some disciples out who would do great things in Jesus’ name. Yet Jesus warned them, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Our joy is not to be fixed on anything in this life, as circumstances change. Instead, the believer is to look forward to the day when faith will be made sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and when God will remove all earthly sorrow and pain (Revelation 21:4).
• Until the day when our eternal hope is fulfilled, believers have joy in knowing that “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). That means that even the pain and sorrow in this life are part of God working out one’s eternal joy. This is why James could say, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4). Suffering tests (strengthens) our faith and produces godly character, making us more like Christ. Believers can count that as joy because they know that this life is not the end.

implications for today

As the song says, "He has made me glad, He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad!" Joy is something both produced in us and a command: rejoice always. Joy is not waiting for life to finally calm down, conditions to be perfect, prayers to finally be answered, or circumstances to finally improve before we trust God enough to rejoice. Instead, every difficult moment becomes an opportunity to preach truth to our hearts and to remind ourselves that God is still good, still sovereign, still present, and still working all things for our eternal good in His timing and in His way.

If you are a believer currently struggling with joy, you are not alone. This world is hard. But read your Bible and make sure you have other believers who point you to Jesus and are deeply involved in your life. Remind yourself of who God is. Seeking Him earnestly. Joy is found in His presence. Above all things, remember this: God loves you, Jesus has saved you and is coming back for you, and His Spirit lives inside you to remind you of who He is and fill you with His joy. Because of that, even in the middle of hardship, uncertainty, and sorrow, we can say, “He has made me glad… I will rejoice, for He has made me glad.”