Lesson 1 - What is Joy?

In the eyes of the world, most people look upon joy as an outward action - "jumping for joy", "joyful laughter", "there is a bounce in their step, they are so full of joy"; etc.

Funk & Wagnalls New International Dictionary of the English Language states:

joy
1. A lively emotion of happiness; gladness.
2. Anything which causes delight
3. An expression or manifestation of this.

joyful
1. Full of joy
2. Manifesting or causing joy

My hearts desire, for this study series, is to get to know, understand and experience the full and wonderful "joy of the Lord". It is our strength! It is in our salvation! Now, let me stop here and clarify a common misconception in Christian communities today. The "joy of the Lord" is NOT something that makes us giddy and/or laugh all the time! (yes, there are times when laughter has broken forth - in some meetings - and that may or may not be something we will address, I'm still praying about that.) What we will be doing is taking a good look at Scripture and see how "the joy of the Lord" works and manifests itself in our day to day lives.Quite a number of years ago, now, I read a church sign that summed it up perfectly. I do not know who coined the phrase, but I would like to share it with you:


                                                                      Joy is Peace Dancing
                                                                                  and
                                                                     Peace is Joy Resting


Why do I feel that sums it up so perfectly? Well, let's begin our time of study, and you will soon understand. Ready? Here we go!

Let us take a look at the Hebrew word hxmX - "Simchah" pronounced as sim-khaw', which is a noun, feminine in origin. This word has been translated into joy 44 times in the Old Testament.

The definition given in the Strong's Concordance (08057) is:
• joy, mirth, gladness
  • mirth, gladness, joy, gaiety, pleasure
  • joy (of God)
  • glad result, happy issue

Look up the following Scriptures and rewrite them in your own words - ask yourself, of each one, "does this passage relate to the 'joy of the Lord'?". Then as you write it out, allow the Lord to personalize it within your heart.

Isaiah 55:12

Psalm 16:11

Proverbs 12:20

Jeremiah 15:16

Nehemiah 8:10

Meditate on these passages this week, asking the Lord to deeply impart His joy in to your life - why not leave a comment so we can 'discuss' things as we progress through this study.