4 PLACES TO FIND JOY IN THE BIBLE

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 would
try to use to describe it.
Sometimes this joy causes people to dance. Other times it leaves the
people in the story (and often the readers) speechless. All of the
time, the joy is in response to a gift from God. And at moments when
it is hard to find joy in the midst of 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.
1. 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. So 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.
Read the whole story in Genesis 43-45.
2. 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.
3. A father’s son returns home.
The story of the prodigal son is one of the most popular parables
in the New Testament. But don’t let the familiarity of the story
cause you to miss the joy of the father when his son returns. The
father literally runs to embrace his son. The father explains to his
older son, “We had to celebrate and be happy, because your
brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has
been found’” (Luke 15:32, GNTD). And that is a cause for real
joy.
Read the whole story in Luke 15.
4. 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 finishes the book with a
description of what the kingdom of God will look like, there was
much cause for celebration. The author describes a place where
there will be no more grief or crying or pain. All this because
God’s home will be with his people. The waiting is over. The time
for joy has come.
Read the whole story in Revelation 21.