What is joy?
- According to the dictionary, it means a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment, something causing such a feeling; a source of happiness, an outward show of pleasure or delight; rejoicing.
- When was the last time you felt joyful? What caused you to feel that way? Was it a short term feeling or a long term feeling?
Read the passage on joy and delight to find out more about what the bible says about joy and do question 1.
Joy does not really mean happiness. Happiness is a momentary feeling. You can feel happy when you have a good day or a good time with your friends, family, etc. Joy is much more deep and abiding. Well, according to the bible, Joy is defined as the happy state that results from knowing and serving God.
-Are you experiencing this kind of joy now? If not, what is holding you back from experiencing it?
Joy in the Christian life is in direct proportion as believers walk with the Lord. They can rejoice because they are in the Lord (Philippians 4:4). Joy is a fruit of a Spirit-led life (Galatians 5:22). Sin in a believer's life robs the person of joy (Psalms 51:8,Psalms 51:12).
We can have real joy in knowing that He loves us and is coming back for us. No matter what problems that we have throughout our day, we can have real joy in the comfort of His love.
Read the passage on the truth about God and do question 2.
When a person walks with the Lord, the person can continue to rejoice even when troubles come. You can have joy even in the darkest moments. Jesus spoke of those who could rejoice even when persecuted and killed (Matthew 5:12). Paul wrote of rejoicing in suffering because of the final fruit that would result (Romans 5:3-5). Both Peter and James also echoed the Lord's teachings about rejoicing in troubles (1 Peter 1:6-8; James 1:2).
-When times are hard we still can have JOY.
Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
-Suffering and trials like Paul and Silas.
Acts 16:24-25 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
They sang praises to the Lord because they were happy in spite of their circumstances. They trusted the Lord to take care of them and to help them get through the trials.
Sickness like Job or Paul with the thorn in the flesh didn't stop their JOY. In the story of Job, God allowed Satan to test Job. Satan made Job lost his servants because the work was gone and lost his children. (Children were inheritance to the future. Among the Jewish people, children were an asset that made you rich.) Job lost his health which removed him from his ability to work.
Job had a solid foundation of faith to keep the JOY in him. Job built his life on trusting the Lord no matter what happened and rebuild his life with the Lord's help. Job knew that his real and lasting joy would come from the Lord. Job prayed for his friends and the Lord restored his life to full joy and blessings. (Corinthians II 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.)
Do question 3., 4 and 5.
Read John 16:20-22.

There are several things that stand out in these verses. One is that before the disciples great joy there was grief and sorrow. Sometimes we have to experience grief to know true joy. Not always, but the joy is sometimes sweeter.

Secondly, verse 22 spoke volumes to me. No one will take away your joy.
-What do you think that means?
Joy comes from God and our walk with him. Once, we have asked Jesus into our heart our joy comes from our salvation and forgiveness of sins. No one can take away the joy of our salvation.