Luke 2:8-12 New Living Translation
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Joy comes from God
Psalm 4:7-8 (NLT)
7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Luke 2:10 (ESV)
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Philippians 4:4 (NLT)
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Philippians 1:12-14, 18 (NLT)
12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear…. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.
Joy is renewed and sustained by the Holy Spirit
Romans 14:17 (NLT)
17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 New Living Translation
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 says the Holy Spirit PRODUCES: Love, JOY, peace…
Luke 10:21 New Living Translation
21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit…
Philippians 1:4-6 (NLT)
4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Joy shines in trials
1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NLT)
6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.
Philippians 2:17-18 (NLT)
17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
Colossians 1:24 New Living Translation
24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.
Romans 5:3-4 New Living Translation
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.