I have struggled with the difference between joy and happiness. After researching this issue, I find I am not alone. So recently, I set out to discover what the differences are and this is what I have found.
Happiness
Happiness is physical and it appears to be externally motivated. It seems that most people find happiness in the things around them, or that they experience.
For example, they feel happy when good things happen to them. They are happy when they drink really good coffee, or eat fantastic food, or enjoy the company of family and good friends, and so on.
All of these come from external sources, and all of them are temporary. None of them last for long, and the happiness is easily taken away if something bad happens.
Joy
Joy on the other hand is spiritual, and the joy of the Lord grows within through the working of the Holy Spirit. The joy of the Lord is deep and abiding.
When we hold fast to the joy of the Lord, we experience it regardless of what is going on around us. The issues of day to day living have little or no impact on our joy, and there are many scriptures that describe those who felt the joy of the Lord despite adversity.
Experiencing the joy of the Lord
The clincher for me was reading and understanding this scripture.
Though the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength (Habakkuk chapter 3, verses 17-19)
When I understood what the prophet was saying, I could see the working of the joy of the Lord in his life.
The first few verses describe the many sufferings with which this man was stricken. It reminds me of the life of Job and the suffering he endured for the Lord.
But the scripture ends with him saying that regardless or in spite of all of these bad things happening in his life, he still rejoiced in the Lord. None of these issues could take away his joy in knowing the Lord.
Paul and Silas
Another example from scripture occurred when Paul and Silas were in Thyatira.
They were dragged before the authorities, stripped and beaten with rods, then thrown into the inner jail and restrained in fetters with their feet fastened in the stocks. (See: Acts chapter 16, verses 19-26).
What did they do? Did they complain about how badly they were treated just for preaching the word of God?
No. They were praying and singing! They were praising the Lord with psalms and the rest of the prisoners were intently listening to them.
How could they do that? They did it because they knew the joy of the Lord.
What is the joy of the Lord?
This is the key question. If all these men of God could overcome adversity and still praise God, we need to understand what the joy of the Lord is, and how to find it.
A good place to start is in these words.
For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans chapter 8, verses 38-39)
When we know and understand that God is with us in any and every circumstance, that He has a plan, and that He is in control of everything, then we can feel the joy of the Lord.
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11)
Add to that these words:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 13)
God has promised to look out for us ensuring we cannot be broken by testing and temptation. That is a powerful promise.
So, the joy of the Lord can be summed up as the deep and abiding knowledge that God has a plan for our good. He also watches over every aspect of our lives and does not allow us to be tested or tempted beyond our strength. And finally, He cares for us and nothing can take us away from His love.
When we know these things deep in our heart and spirit, we can take comfort in any situation and the joy of the Lord will be ours.
Since retiring from work, John Lemmon now spends his time teaching, preaching and writing about the word of God, online and offline, answering God's call on him to “Speak to my people.” You can connect with John on Twitter (@JohnBLemmon) or on his website: freegiftfromgod.com/ or listen to his podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-free-gift-from-god-podcast/id1440682375