What Makes God Joyful? Reflections on Joy
The Joy of the Lord
What makes God joyful? This is not the question one might expect when considering the virtue of the Spirit’s fruit. The more natural question for us might be, “What will make me happy?”
When it comes to joy, we are all about it. And this is not problematic; God has created us to be joy seekers. The problem is when we seek joy in the wrong places. We are looking at the fruit of the Spirit—fruit that grows and flourishes not because of us or from us but because we are connected to God, the epitome of highest joy. We are receivers, just like a tree planted by streams of water (Ps. 1:3), and we will yield God’s good fruit from his good Spirit as we remain planted in him.
Our growth in joy, then, will come from God—from his very own Spirit of endless and unconquerable gladness.
What Joy Is Not
We read of God’s joy and think, I would like to have that kind of joy. But does “endless and unconquerable” sound too good to be true? In this broken and sad world full of suffering we are more familiar with “fanciful and fleeting” happiness—an emotional response to the ebb and flow of earthly existence. “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” might cheer us for a moment, but we know these favorite things do not last.
ESV Devotional Journal, Fruit of the Spirit
This box set consists of 9 journals, each centered on one fruit of the Spirit. With 12 relevant Bible passages, reflective journaling prompts, and note-taking space, readers can meditate on what God speaks through his Word and the Spirit.
Let us start by describing what joy is not, according to God’s Word:
- Joy is not found in worldly pleasures: “I kept my heart from no pleasure . . . . and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind” (Eccl. 2:10–11).
- Joy is not dependent on the absence of suffering: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2).
- Joy cannot be bought by money or found in possessions:“My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver” (Prov. 8:19).
- Joy does not mean always putting on a happy face: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
- Joy is not shallow and does not shift: “You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).
It is easy to think of joy as the emotional effect of abundance and ideal, pleasant circumstances. Even as joy relates to God, we sometimes think of it as a “happy Christian” disposition. But, since Jesus promises joy to his people (who have many different dispositions!) in a world full of hardship, then joy cannot possibly be any of these. “I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
What Joy Is
According to our Savior joy is found not in our circumstances but in knowing him: “In your presence there is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). No one can take our joy from us because no one can take our Lord from us. True Christian joy, then, is satisfaction in the presence of God, who is full of endless and unconquerable gladness in himself.
What happens when our God of joy abides in us by his Spirit? His joy comes to us and then flows from us. So, back to our question: What makes God joyful? As with his love, God has always existed in endless and unconquerable gladness within himself. He is the “happiest being in the universe,”1 perfectly satisfied with his own glory — his beautiful splendor and holy majesty. God’s joy is his good pleasure to declare and delight in his own loveliness, and, astoundingly, he has involved us in this purpose. He wants to “make known [to us] the riches of his glory” (Rom. 9:23). He wants us to be truly joyful—full of satisfied gladness in him!
Our joy in God will increase as we spend time with him, knowing him better and trusting him more (Ps. 16:11). His joy will come to us as his Spirit reminds us of his character, works, and promises through Scripture (John 15:11), and his joy will flow from us to others as we obey his life-giving commands to remember him, talk to him, rejoice always, and be thankful (Ps. 100:4; Phil. 4:4; 1 Thess. 5:16).
What happens when our God of joy abides in us by his Spirit? His joy comes to us and then flows from us.
Joy is also rooted in hope. A despairing person is not a joyful person. Psalm 42:11 asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” It was “for the joy that was set before him” that Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2). While suffering and dying—a seemingly despairing event—the Son of God hoped in God’s joyful purpose: to make known to us his glory. This was the joy set before Jesus, the joy that enabled him to walk through opposition, betrayal, pain, and death — and into eternal life.
And it is the same joy—God’s joy—that will enable us to do the same.
Joyful Fruit
So, when opposition arises, when betrayal comes, when pain assaults, when testing assails, when depression descends, when death itself approaches, what will remain for us? Our deep and abiding joy in God. No one can take our joy from us because no one can take God’s Spirit from us; our joy remains because he does. This does not mean we will never weep, grieve, or be sorrowful, for even Jesus was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). But it does mean that above the clouds and darkness the sun remains. Our hope brightly shines. Our light—the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ—is our joy: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isa. 60:1).
One way in which we can practice the presence of our glorious Lord and bear his fruit of joy is by daily drawing “water from the wells of salvation” (Isa. 12:3). We remember the gospel—who Jesus is and what he has accomplished (Ps. 92:1–4). We rehearse our spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3–14). We count our earthly gifts (James 1:17). We lift our voices in prayer and praise, Scripture and song (Ps. 100:1–2). When we choose to rejoice in God with our minds and mouths, our hearts will follow: “I have set the Lord always before me. . . . Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices” (Ps. 16:8–9).
Finally, we consider our future: what will happen when we finally see Christ face to face and our faith in him turns to sight? Our joy will be complete. It will be endless and unconquerable, once and for all. As our hope is realized, so will our highest satis- faction and eternal gladness, “and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17), the source and end of all our joy.
Notes:
- John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, rev. ed. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004), 36.
This article is adapted from ESV Devotional Journal, Fruit of the Spirit: Joy by Kristen Wetherell.
Related Articles
The Book of Job Is a Book of Joy
“Joy” is probably the last word most of us would use to describe the book of Job. What could be less joyful than the nightmare of Job’s suffering?
Is Joy in Christ Possible When All I See Is My Sin?
We think that somehow we have exceeded God’s capacity to forgive. We deceive ourselves to think that our sin is greater than his grace.
John Piper shares a helpful guide for how to pray over the Word in the fight for joy.
Podcast: Enjoying Food, Sports, and the Rest of God’s Good Gifts (Joe Rigney)
Joe Rigney talks about the biblical command to love God and turn away from idols, and he discusses how to navigate the confusing task of being in the world but not of it.
