But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
John 17:13 NKJV
Throughout Scripture, we find people who found abundant joy through Christ and what God did in their lives.
The Bible deals with a lot of tough (and sad!) topics, from the entrance of sin in the book of Genesis to the laments of the prophets in the Old Testament. But throughout Scripture, we also see glimpses of joy—a level of pure happiness that transcends any words we could use.
Sometimes this joy causes people to dance. Other times it renders people in the story (and often the readers) speechless. Every time, the joy is in response to a gift from God. And at moments when it is hard to find joy amid our own daily lives and routines, these passages in Scripture can serve as a reminder that God is good. And that is cause for great joy.
- Joseph is reunited with his brothers.
The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph—the favorite of Jacob’s 12 sons. Although his father gave special treatment to Joseph, his brothers resented the special treatment that Joseph received. They sold him as a slave and told their father that Joseph was dead. But after many years, Joseph and his brothers were reunited. Joseph forgave his brothers, saved his whole family from starvation during a famine, and celebrated the joy of being restored to his family.
You’ll find the whole story in Genesis 43-45.
- David dances before the Lord.
When the ark of the Covenant came to Jerusalem, there was a celebration of harps, lyres and percussion instruments. People sang and sacrifices were offered. But David also danced. He danced jubilantly to celebrate the ark, which signified God’s presence. His wife, Michal, criticized him for his display of joy, but David told her that his dancing was to honor the Lord.
Read the whole story in 2 Samuel 6.
- A father’s son returns home.
In the story of the prodigal sons, we see the joy of the father when the rebellious son returns home. The father runs to embrace his son, proclaiming that he who was lost was now found!
Read the whole story in Luke 15.
- The author of Revelation sees a new heaven and a new earth.
The book of Revelation was written to a church that knew pain and persecution, so when the author finished the book with a description of what the kingdom of God will look like, there was much cause for celebration. The author described a place where there will be no more grief or crying or pain, because God’s home will finally be with his people. The waiting will be over, and there will be joy forevermore.
Read the whole story in Revelation 21.