One of the most important, yet most hopeless, topics in our lives is happiness. What is happiness? How do we find it? And most importantly how do we make it last?
In this blog post, I share the best Bible verses about happiness that will give you strength when you don’t feel happy at all.
40 Bible Verses about Happiness
1. Philippians 4:11-13
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
2. Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
3. Psalm 19:8
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
4. Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5. Psalm 16:8-9
I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.
6. 1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
7. Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
8. Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
9. Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
10. James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
11. Psalm 118: 24
This is the day that the lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
12. Nehemiah 8:10
… Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
13. Ecclesiastes 9:7
Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved of what you do.
14. Proverbs 12:20
Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.
15. Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
16. 2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
17. Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
18. Proverbs 8:35
For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.
19. Colossians 1:9-12
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
20. Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
21. Psalm 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
22. Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
23. Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
24. Proverbs 31:25
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
25. Romans 5:2
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God.
26. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
27. Isaiah 12:3
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
28. Psalm 119:11
Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
29. 1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
30. Psalm 33:21
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
31. John 15:11
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
32. Psalm 126:3
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
33. Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
34. Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels
35. 1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.
36. Habakkuk 3:18
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
37. Isaiah 55:12
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
38. Deuteronomy 16:15
For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.
39. Jeremiah 31:13
Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
40. Luke 6:23
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
Ultimately, happiness is a state of well-being and contentment that we reach when we feel satisfied. The so-called pursuit of happiness is a quest that takes most people the majority of their lives but never really seems conquered.
We put a lot of energy and thought into things and people that are supposed to make us happy, just to find out that they can’t.
Real happiness, however, is only found in Christ Jesus. Only by trusting God and in His everlasting love, are we able to truly live a joyful life.
What does the Bible say about happiness?
Before we get started, let’s have a look at what the Bible says about joy and happiness.
The word of God repeatedly teaches us that true happiness is found in loving God. When we seek happiness in Christ, that’s when we will find great joy as opposed to looking for it in worldly things.
So rather than focusing on the blessings, we have to focus on God and the blessings will follow.
I know that seems easier said than done, but that’s why we need to read these bible verses about being happy and remind ourselves of the joy of the Lord.
Another way to experience greater joy is by practicing gratitude.
Reminding yourself of all the good things in your life will help you to keep a cheerful heart. This mindset helped me a lot during the pandemic.
Does the Bible say God wants us to be happy?
I want you to ask yourself these two questions:
Are you only happy when life goes as planned?
Or do you still rejoice in God even when times are hard?
The first time I read the above bible verses about happiness, I identified the most with question number one. Whenever my life went as planned, meaning my professional and private life was thriving, I felt good about myself and rejoiced in the lord.
But whenever my perfect little life had a crack and I was facing various trials I felt hopeless and depressed.
My happiness was solely depending on external factors and I allowed my circumstances to control me. It took a while until I learned to enjoy my life, especially as a single woman.
The Holy Bible, however, teaches us that our joy and strength don’t come from the world or our possessions but from Christ. And in order to be content in any circumstance, we need to make God our source of everlasting joy.
So does that mean that he doesn’t want us to be happy? Absolutely not!
He wants us to put our faith and hope in Him, which will then lead to a happy life. No matter how much material wealth you accumulate on this earth, in the end it won’t make you happy.
Because true happiness comes from knowing God.
Is there a biblical difference between joy and happiness?
One of the many discussions people have is about whether one expression is holier than the other.
A lot of believers say that joy is grander than happiness. That happiness is when you focus on a fleeting and worldly feeling, while joy is a posture of your heart rooted in Christ
I don’t see it like that. For me, the difference is that I pursue happiness on a daily basis, while joy is found in my overall state of mind.
I’m a joyful person that can be unhappy from time to time.
Thankfully, the Bible tells us that joy is a fruit of the spirit. It is a character trait produced by the holy spirit in us.
This means that in order to experience the fullness of joy we must know Christ and spend time with him. Joy is cultivated and sought after even in hard times.
What is a beautiful verse about happiness?
Before I wrap up this post, I thought it’d be nice to share my favorite verse out of all the bible verses about happiness. Phillippians 4:4.
The reason why I like that one is that a lot of bible verses on happiness, seem abstract. And at times they are hard to relate to. This one on the other hand doesn’t leave room for interpretation.
It tells us to ALWAYS rejoice in the Lord. Simple.
By simply appreciating God’s goodness and love, I’m reminded that I am already doing fine. That joy is available right at this moment, without anything external needed.
How to find happiness in God?
While the above-mentioned bible verses about being happy and enjoying life are a good start when you feel down. I know that sometimes just reading joyful scriptures is not enough.
Sometimes you need something more tangible to get to combat the negative thoughts and experience joy again.
One thing that I noticed worked wonders when I first started including a gratitude practice in my life is that simply writing down three things that I am grateful for each day, helped me focus on the positive things in my life that I might overlook otherwise.
It reminded me that every day is a gift from God!
Besides the daily gratitude prompts, it includes weekly uplifting messages that will add a pep to your step.
