| JOY OVER THE
BIRTH OF JESUS
And having come in, the angel
said to her, "Rejoice, highly
favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
(Luke 1:28 NKJV)
When they saw the star, they rejoiced
with exceedingly great joy. (Matthew 2:10 NKJV)
"And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his
birth. (Luke 1:14 NKJV)
"For indeed, as soon as the
voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
(Luke 1:44 NKJV)
Then the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy
which will be to all people. (Luke 2:10 NKJV)
JOY IS ONE OF
THE CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAVED
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (Galatians 5:22 NKJV)
Rejoice
always, (1 Thessalonians 5:16 NKJV)
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again
I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4
NKJV)
"Nevertheless do not rejoice
in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice
because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20 NKJV)
"Your father Abraham rejoiced
to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." (John 8:56
NKJV)
 Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,
knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance,
character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:1-4 NKJV)
for the kingdom of God is not
eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17 NKJV)
Now may the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13
NKJV)
"Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and
for joy over it he goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44 NKJV)
"These things I have spoken
to you, that My joy may remain in you,
and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11 NKJV)
Now Jesus knew that they desired
to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves
about what I said, `A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a
little while, and you will see Me'? "Most assuredly, I say to you
that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be
sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
"A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come;
but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers
the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
"Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your
heart will rejoice, and your joy no
one will take from you. (John 16:19-22 NKJV)
"But now I come to You
(Father), and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy
fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:13 NKJV)
But let all those rejoice who put
their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy,
because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in
You. (Psalms 5:11 NKJV)
You will show me the path of
life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalms 16:11 NKJV)
The king shall have joy
in Your strength, O LORD; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he
rejoice! (Psalms 21:1 NKJV)
And now my head shall be lifted
up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy
in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
(Psalms 27:6 NKJV)
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice,
you righteous; And shout for joy, all
you upright in heart! (Psalms 32:11 NKJV)
Sing to Him a new song; Play
skillfully with a shout of joy.
(Psalms 33:3 NKJV)
And my soul shall be joyful in
the LORD; It shall rejoice in His
salvation. (Psalms 35:9 NKJV)
Then I will go to the altar of
God, To God my exceeding joy; And on
the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. (Psalms 43:4 NKJV)
Beautiful in elevation, The joy
of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of
the great King. (Psalms 48:2 NKJV)
Restore to me the joy
of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (Psalms 51:12
NKJV)
My soul shall be satisfied as
with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful
lips. (Psalms 63:5 NKJV)
Make a joyful
shout to God, all the earth! (Psalms 66:1 NKJV)
Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of
Jacob. (Psalms 81:1 NKJV)
Blessed are the people who know
the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD,
in the light of Your countenance. (Psalms 89:15 NKJV)
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of
our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us
shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
(Psalms 95:1-2 NKJV)
Let us come before His presence
with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to
Him with psalms. (Psalms 95:2 NKJV)
Shout joyfully
to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice,
and sing praises. (Psalms 98:4 NKJV)
With trumpets and the sound of a
horn; Shout joyfully before the LORD,
the King. (Psalms 98:6 NKJV)
He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with gladness. (Psalms 105:43 NKJV)
Those who sow in tears Shall reap
in joy. (Psalms 126:5 NKJV)
Let Your priests be clothed with
righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy. (Psalms 132:9 NKJV)
Let Israel rejoice in their
Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful
in their King. (Psalms 149:2 NKJV)
Let the saints be joyful
in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. (Psalms 149:5 NKJV)
Behold, God is my salvation, I
will trust and not be afraid; `For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.'" Therefore with joy
you will draw water From the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:2-3 NKJV)
The wilderness and the wasteland
shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the
rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with
joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The
excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The
excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble
knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He
will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like
a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in
the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become
a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of
jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. A
highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of
Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. No lion
shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be
found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, And the ransomed of the
LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy
on their heads. They shall obtain joy and
gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:1-10 NKJV)
For the LORD will comfort Zion,
He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like
Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy
and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of
melody. (Isaiah 51:3 NKJV)
So the ransomed of the LORD shall
return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy
on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing
shall flee away. (Isaiah 51:11 NKJV)
Break forth into
joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD
has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. (Isaiah 52:9 NKJV)
"For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth
into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their
hands. (Isaiah 55:12 NKJV)
To console those who mourn in
Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy
for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they
may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He
may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV)
Instead of your shame you shall
have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice
in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
(Isaiah 61:7 NKJV)
I will greatly rejoice
in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful
in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has
covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself
with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah
61:10 NKJV)
MANY TIMES THIS
JOY CONTRADICTS ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND FEELINGS
Though the fig tree may not
blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may
fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from
the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls-- Yet I will rejoice in the
LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's
feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. (Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV)
"Blessed are the poor in
spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit
the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For
they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain
mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are
the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those
who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say
all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. "Rejoice
and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they
persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the
earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is
then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot
be hidden. "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but
on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (Matthew
5:3-15 NKJV)
looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV)
"A woman, when she is in
labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given
birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for
joy that a human being has been born into the world. (John
16:21 NKJV)
By faith Moses, when he became of
age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather
to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing
pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26 NKJV)
And you became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy
of the Holy Spirit, (1 Thessalonians 1:6 NKJV)
But recall the former days in
which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with
sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and
tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so
treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and
joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that
you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
(Hebrews 10:32-34 NKJV)
Moreover, brethren, we make known
to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a
great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy
and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. (2
Corinthians 8:1-2 NKJV)
I now rejoice
in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the
afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
(Colossians 1:24 NKJV)
Great is my boldness of speech
toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort.
I am exceedingly joyful in all our
tribulation. (2 Corinthians 7:4 NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into various trials, (James 1:2 NKJV)
And they agreed with him, and
when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that
they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they
departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5:40-41
NKJV)
But at midnight Paul and Silas
were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to
them. (Acts 16:25 NKJV)
"And see, now I go bound in
the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me
there, "except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying
that chains and tribulations await me. "But none of these things move
me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race
with joy, and the ministry which I
received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of
God. (Acts 20:22-24 NKJV)
Beloved, do not think it strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange
thing happened to you; but rejoice to
the extent that you partake of
But in all things we commend
ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in
needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors,
in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering,
by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by
the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on
the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as
deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and
behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always
rejoicing; as poor, yet making many
rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. (2 Corinthians
6:4-10 NKJV)
Christ's sufferings, that when
His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding
joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are
you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He
is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you
suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other
people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for
judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first,
what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now
"If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and
the sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to the
will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful
Creator. (1 Peter 4:12-19 NKJV)
Now no chastening seems to be joyful
for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11 NKJV)
In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by
various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more
precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be
found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom
having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing,
you rejoice with joy
inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith----the
salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9 NKJV)
FATHER REJOICES
OVER US
"What do you think? If a man
has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the
ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
"And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices
more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
(Matthew 18:12-13 NKJV)
Then all the tax collectors and
the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes
complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with
them." So He spoke this parable to them, saying: "What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is
lost until he finds it? "And when he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. "And when
he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to
them, `Rejoice with me, for I have
found my sheep which was lost!' "I say to you that likewise there
will be more joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no
repentance.
"Or what woman, having ten
silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the
house, and search carefully until she finds it? "And when she has
found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, `Rejoice
with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' "Likewise, I say
to you, there is joy in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Then He said: "A certain man
had two sons. "And the younger of them said to his father, `Father,
give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his
livelihood. "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all
together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions
with prodigal living. "But
when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he
began to be in want. "Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of
that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. "And he
would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and
no one gave him anything. "But
when he came to himself, he said, `How many of my father's hired servants
have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! `I will arise
and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before you, "and I am no longer worthy to be
called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."' "And
he arose and came to his father. But
when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion,
and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. "And the son said to
him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no
longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his
servants, `Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on
his hand and sandals on his feet. `And bring the fatted calf here and kill
it, and let us eat and be merry; `for
this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And
they began to be merry.
"Now his older son was in
the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and
dancing. "So he called one of the servants and asked what these
things meant. "And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and
because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the
fatted calf.' "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his
father came out and pleaded with him. "So he answered and said to his
father, `Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never
transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a
young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. `But as soon as this
son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you
killed the fatted calf for him.' "And he said to him, `Son, you are
always with me, and all that I have is yours. `It was right that we should
make merry and be glad, for your
brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"
(Luke 15:1-32 NKJV)
Now to Him who is able to keep
you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of
His glory with exceeding joy, (Jude
1:24 NKJV)
`Yes, I will rejoice
over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in
this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.' (Jeremiah 32:41 NKJV)
The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over
you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice
over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV)
For as a young man marries a
virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over
the bride, So shall your God rejoice
over you. (Isaiah 62:5 NKJV)
I will rejoice
in Jerusalem, And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of
crying. (Isaiah 65:19 NKJV) |
