1 When the Lord brought back the captives [who returned] to Zion, we were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal]. 2 Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.  3 The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad!--Psalm 126:1-3, AMPC

We all want to be happy and content, and that was God's intent from the Beginning. Many people find that Christmas is the happiest time of their year, but it is possible to have that joy (gladness) all day long!

If you do a topic search on "joy" as I just did, you'll find the LORD talks about it more than you probably thought. My search for "joy" just now brought up 250 Scriptures about joy, in the Amplified Class Bible!

So, even if you just find one verse and read it and say it and memorize it and look at it every day, it will help to transform your mind from the sorrow of this world and any negative past junk, and help you focus on the good, good God Who loves you, Who gives you every good thing, and Who has shielded you from so much junk that you may never know till Heaven!

Meditating the Word of God will bring you joy, or rather, cause the joy within you (by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, Who comes into your heart to live forever, from the moment you repent of your sins and invite Him to be your Savior and LORD! Hallelujah!) to rise up!

Meditating (which is simply thinking about over and over; saying over and over; reading over and over; etc., till it gets into your heart and mind to stay--which is why it is extremely important what we allow ourselves to see and hear and say over and over!) the Word will always bring you victory.

If you want more joy, meditate the Scriptures about joy and God's goodness! 

One way to have more joy is to keep a thanksgiving journal, in which you write daily, to create a record of God's goodness to you! This can include the big things, the small things, the in-between things; whatever brings you joy!

What is joy? Sometimes we confuse it witih happiness. Joy is much deeper than happiness, which can change depending on circumstances. 

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and it's all beneficial. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is good and all good--the manifestation, the evidence, of God the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ Jesus, working in our hearts and minds, and through our words and actions! Hallelujah!

22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. --Galatians 5:22-23, AMPC

No one but the LORD can truly share another's joy. Joy is subjective and can be so deep that the LORD Jesus, when He chose to be obedient and allow Himself to be crucified--killed by the most horrible way possible then--on the cross to pay for the sins of every person for all time (HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU FOR YOUR MERCY AND FAITHFULNESS, LORD JESUS, TO SPARE US FROM ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD AND PAY FOR WHAT WE NEVER COULD!), did it with joy!

Can you imagine? 

I cannot! It is written that (by faith, because He was forever pure and spotless and never sinned, which is why He could pay for the sins of the whole world with His blood--His obedient life!) He became sin for us, that we might become righteous to Jehovah!

²¹ For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. --II Corinthians 5:21, AMPC

Yet, praise the LORD, the eternal, unchanging, infallible, living Word of God states that, "Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God."--Hebrews 12:2, AMPC

Halleujah!

Also, the LORD our Daddy God (once we have truly received His Son, Christ Jesus, as our Savior and LORD, that is!)) is so gracious and loving that, when we ask, He will certainly help us by His Holy Spirit to choose to be thankful and set our minds on things that bring us joy. One way to increase our joy is by remembering, and saying out loud, the many good things God has done for us!

Thanksgiving is a key to joy, so if your joy level needs to rise, just start saying, “Thank You for…” anything God has done (and all He has done is good, and there is so much good in your life and mine! If we started thanking Him now and did that 24/7 the rest of our lives, we could never truly thank Him enough!), and your joy will be sure to rise.

Also, remember that joy is not a feeling! It is a fruit of the Spirit! To have an increased awareness of joy, you can also say, “I yield to the Holy Spirit; I yield to the Spirit of joy.”

Very soon, I believe you will find yourself rejoicing in the LORD.

Ultimately, your deepest joy comes from knowing--once you have asked God to forgive you of your sins, and asked Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior and LORD—that you are one with Christ, seated in Heavenly places, and going to be in Heaven with the LORD when your body dies. In Heaven, it’s all peace and freedom and joy and love, and everything good, for it is God’s domain, and God is all good!

Now, I know you can rejoice at that!

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.