God is our Ultimate Joy and Source of Pleasure
Bible Verses about Joy in God and his Word
When we find ourselves surrounded by the cares of this world, let us remind ourselves how the writers of the Bible found their satisfaction. These words can help as reminders or even be prayed. May we all be able to speak these words honestly, but if we cannot, let us pray that God grants us such satisfaction in him.
Jump to section:
Joy in God as a Commandment
PSALM 32:11
“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”
PSALM 37:4
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
PSALM 97:12
“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!”
PSALM 100:1
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!”
PHILIPPIANS 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
1THESSALONIANS 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Examples set by those who have gone before
JOB 23:12
“I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”
PSALM 9:2
“I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
PSALM 16:2,5
“I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you’…The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”
PSALM 16:11
“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 17:15
“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.”
PSALM 19:9-10
“the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”
PSALM 42:1
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”
PSALM 43:4
“Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.”
PSALM 63:1-3
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”
PSALM 73:25-26
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
PSALM 111:2
“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.”
PSALM 142:5
“I cry to you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’”
PHILIPPIANS 1:21-23
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”
PHILIPPIANS 3:1
“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.”
PHILIPPIANS 3:7-8
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
ISAIAH 26:9
“My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”
JEREMIAH 15:16
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.”
LAMENTATIONS 3:24
“’The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,therefore I will hope in him.”
HABAKKUK 3:17-18
“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.”
MATTHEW 13:44
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
What it means to not have Joy in God
MATTHEW 10:37
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
JOHN 8:42
“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.’”
1 CORINTHIANS 16:22
“If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”
1 PETER 1:8
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,”
