7 Beautiful Ways the Bible Encourages Us to “Choose Joy”

In Psalm 16:11, we read “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” David recognized that knowing the Lord is the supreme goodness in life. Even when he was in danger, he took pleasure in the Lord who was his refuge and portion (Psalm 16:1, 5). By being in the presence of God, David found joy despite difficulties and fear.

Our Lord has promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). We do not have to seek out His company since He is always present. However, intentionally spending time with Him is a way we can choose joy in our daily lives, to choose to be with the One who is our ultimate joy and good.

Throughout Psalms we see how David and the other psalmists took delight in the Lord. We can do the same as we invest time in our relationship with God. The more we make our communion with Him a priority, the more we will find it is a pleasure to grow in our knowledge and love for Him. We become transformed, as does our outlook. Like David, we discover that knowing God brings peace amidst difficulty, and the fullness of joy.

2. By Obeying Jesus and Receiving the Joy He Provides

After telling the disciples that they will produce fruit if they remain in Him, Jesus mentioned that He told them these things so that His joy could be in them and overflow (John 15:11). They could express their love for Him and experience the greatest happiness by obeying Him (John 15:9-11). This joy is not manufactured but is given to us by the Lord Jesus, as it is essentially His own joy that He gives when we obey His commands.

And what are His commands? Jesus specifically tells us to love one another as He has loved us (John 15:12). We are to love with a self-giving love, for our Lord gave His life to save us (John 15:13). People will recognize us as followers of Jesus when we love others (John 13:35).

If we want more joy in our lives, then we should start making it an emphasis to express our love for our Lord through obedience. The more we walk in accordance with what He taught, the more we will experience delight. In contrast to what many people assume, obedience is meant to bring happiness, not drudgery, to the believer’s life.

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There are times when nothing seems to be right. Our health fails. Financial problems arise. Someone we love dies. Such situations leave us feeling drained of hope and happiness. It is as if life has taken everything, and we are left empty-handed.

We are right to acknowledge the pain of difficult times, lamenting our loss to the Lord. Scripture never downplays the reality of suffering in the world. Even then, there is something in life that cannot be taken away: the Lord’s loving presence.

The prophet Habakkuk knew what it was like to feel as if all hope was gone. The crops had failed and there was no livestock left in the stalls and pens. But even in this bleak time, he had reason to praise. As he wrote, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Even as we lament and grieve the hardships that come our way, we can find joy in our great Savior. He has saved us, given us eternal life, and promised to return soon to make all things new. In Him, we can rejoice knowing that pain, suffering, and death do not define our story. Our risen Lord has conquered; He is our joy and hope, even when all else seems bleak.

4. By Making Joy a Habit and Discipline

Paul’s instruction to the church at Philippi may sound strange to us. We are told to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). To make it clear, Paul repeats the command. Rejoicing in every situation and moment is a command for the follower of Christ.

And yet, this instruction is not as odd as it may at first appear. We already saw through the example of Habakkuk that we can rejoice during hardships while also being honest about our struggles. Delighting in the Lord is what brings us the greatest joy. Thus, rejoicing is set forth in Scripture as a defining characteristic of a believer; we should be known for our joy.

Of course, the very instruction that tells us to rejoice implies this is a deliberate choice we must make each day as a holy habit and discipline. Joy is not always our default position so we must consciously decide to take delight in God. To give thanks for the major prayers He answers as well as to pause and notice the small gestures of love He provides each day. In rejoicing we are responding to our Savior, whose love is evident all around us if we are willing to look.

We might struggle sometimes in obeying the command to be joyful, but the more we cultivate this discipline, the more we will understand that joy can, and should, be a hallmark of the Christian life.

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Throughout the Bible, we find instructions to deliberately remember what God has done. The holy festivals of Israel that the Lord instituted were intended to provide a tangible reminder of what He had done for the Israelites (Exodus 12:14; Leviticus 23:15-16, 41-43). Time and time again, they were encouraged to recall the awesome works of the Lord. We find this also in the Psalms, of the need to remember the awesome works of God (Psalm 77:11; 105:5; 143:5).

What is amazing is that when Israel obeyed and remembered, there was rejoicing. The Israelites returning from exile during Nehemiah’s time wept at hearing the Book of the Law read to them. Nehemiah encouraged them to celebrate – and they did (Nehemiah 8:9-12). Their celebrations continued as they observed the Feast of Tabernacles, and “their joy was very great" (Nehemiah 8:17).

And when Jesus instituted the New Covenant with the Lord’s Supper, He told the disciples to break bread and drink wine together in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:18-20). All Christians partake in this meal regularly to proclaim His atoning death until the second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Lord’s Supper, also known as communion, is a solemn occasion that we should not approach lightly. Yet it serves as a reminder of what Jesus did, of the wonderful salvation He died to give.

These acts of remembering bring us joy. We can choose to rejoice by recalling the mighty acts of our Lord throughout the Bible, from creation, Passover, the cross, and resurrection, all the way to anticipating the future restoration. Believers can meet to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. They can observe seasons and festivals of the church together to urge one another on to greater joy – such as remembering Jesus’ first coming during Advent and walking back through the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection during Lent and Easter. Together, we can choose to bring to mind the works of the Lord and delight in what He has done.

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At salvation, believers receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. He lives inside of us and empowers our service. As we walk in step with the Spirit by obeying Him, He produces fruit in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23 details this fruit, which includes “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

The joy mentioned here comes as a result of the grace of God as His Spirit works in us. However, we have an important part in the process by being receptive to Him. In the same chapter, Paul instructed the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). The idea is that we should live in accordance with the Spirit’s guidance. The more we submit to Him in obedience, the more He will be able to work in our lives, producing the fruit of Christlike character.

To experience more gladness in our lives regardless of the circumstances, we should practice yielding to the Holy Spirit and walking in step with Him. The joy He gives us cannot be artificially created or gained through hard work, but it is something we can choose by aligning our lives with His will.

7. By Meditating on God’s Word

Sometimes, we can be tempted to view aspects of the Christian life as things we reluctantly endure, like reading the Bible because we know it is a task we are supposed to do. Sitting quietly through a Bible study at church while our minds are preoccupied, or hurrying through a passage in the morning makes us feel as if we are doing our duty. We grit our teeth and bear it.

In Scripture, though, we find that people took delight in God’s Word. Jeremiah recalled how the words given to him by the Lord were his joy and delight (Jeremiah 15:16). Similarly, David described how God’s law was his delight since he would meditate on it throughout the day and night (Psalm 40:8; 119:47-48, 174). The person who derives joy and pleasure from reading and thinking about God’s Word is the one who is blessed (Psalm 1:1-3).

How different this perspective is from those of us who consider Bible reading, memorization, and meditation as chores. We have access to the inspired words of our Lord, who has made the Bible available to equip, encourage, and enlighten us. There are many believers around the world who would sell everything they own to possess a copy of Scripture. Since we have the privilege of having complete access to it, we should take advantage of this opportunity and make Bible reading a priority.

People during biblical times derived delight from Scripture, and we can too. Choosing joy can be as simple as opening a copy of God’s Word and allowing it to fill our hearts and minds.

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