Nehemiah 12:43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
God promises joy. He is the one who makes us rejoice with great joy. The Lord gives Himself and His life, and the result of this grace is rejoicing with joy. Joy is one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. It doesn’t come from the flesh, my own soul and body, and I can’t make it up. I can fake it, but I can’t make it. The joys of this world are superficial and fleeting. Worldly thrills are momentary and fade quickly. The joy of the Lord comes from the Lord; it is deep, abiding, long-lasting, and it never fades. Our emotions may not always feel the joy on the surface, but it is still present within.
We may recapture the joy of the Lord when get into the Word and hear it with faith. Joy comes from knowing and believing, even rehearsing, what great things God has done for us in Christ. We rehearse the Good News every Sunday and Festival Day. For example, where does the real joy of Christmas and Easter come from? From the proclaimed Gospel. We may rehearse the joy and rejoice any time by thanking and praising God, for He is always good.
The outcome of God’s gracious goodness toward us is that we sacrifice our own time and resources for the good of others in service to people. God doesn’t need our sacrifices, but others do. The Lord makes us so happy that we gladly give up something to make others happy.