Bible Topics: Cheerfulness

Definition: Being in good spirits; merry; reflecting willingness or a feeling of cheer.

1. Cheerfulness comes from the heart.

• Proverbs 15:13a A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.
• Proverbs 15:15b He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
• Ecclesiastes 11:9a Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth.
• Matthew 12:35a A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things.

2. The Lord is the source of everlasting joy.

• 1 Chronicles 16:27 Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.
• Nehemiah 8:10b The joy of the Lord is your strength.
• Psalm 4:7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
• Psalm 9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy Name, O Thou most High.
• Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
• Psalm 21:1 The king shall joy in Thy strength, O Lord; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
• Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
• Psalm 43:4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God.
• Psalm 89:15,16 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. 16 In Thy Name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
• Psalm 105:3b Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
• Ecclesiastes 2:26a For God giveth to a man that is good in His sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy.
• Ecclesiastes 3:13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
• Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
• Jeremiah 15:16 Thy Words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy Name, O Lord God of hosts.
• Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

3. Cheerfulness is a sign and a result of faith and trust in the Lord.

• Psalm 5:11 Let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy Name be joyful in Thee.
• Psalm 13:5 I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.
• Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.
• Psalm 33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy Name.
• Psalm 63:7 Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.
• Psalm 64:10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
• Psalm 128:1,2 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
• Psalm 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
• Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
• Proverbs 16:20b Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.
• John 16:33 These things I [Jesus] have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
• Acts 27:25 [Paul, at sea, speaks faith to the sailors during the vicious storm:] Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. [See Acts 27: all.]
• 1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

4. We, as Christians, have more to be cheerful about than anyone else in the whole world!

• Deuteronomy 33:29a Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and Who is the sword of thy excellency!
• Psalm 16:6 The lines [God's blessings] are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
• Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in His salvation.
• Psalm 40:16 Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: let such as love Thy Salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.
• Psalm 63:5,6 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.
• Psalm 84:10 For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
• Psalm 126:3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
• Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! [See also 144:15.]
• Psalm 149:5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
• Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
• Isaiah 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I [the Lord] create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
• Habakkuk 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation.
• Matthew 9:2b Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
• Luke 10:20b Rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven.
• John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

5. Cheerfulness can help us overcome almost any obstacle.

• Psalm 51:8,12 [King David prays for the joy of the Lord after a big breaking:] Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. … 12 Restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.
• Psalm 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
• Proverbs 17:22a A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.
• Isaiah 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His Salvation.
• Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God.
• Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

6. The Lord can keep you cheerful during tests and trials.

• Psalm 16:8,9 I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
• Psalm 30:5,11 For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. … 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
• Isaiah 30:29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
• Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
• Isaiah 61:3 [God anointed Jesus:] to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.
• Isaiah 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
• Isaiah 66:13,14 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward His servants, and His indignation toward His enemies.
• Jeremiah 31:25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
• Luke 6:22,23 [Joyful in tribulation:] Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in Heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
• John 16:20b Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
• Acts 13:50-52 [Paul and Barnabas are joyful in the midst of persecution:] But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. [See also 2 Corinthians 7:4.]
• 2 Corinthians 6:10a [The Lord can help you smile through your tears.] As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
• Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
• 1 Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
• James 1:2,3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
• James 5:11 [You might not "feel" happy, but if you're hanging onto Him, the Lord will give you a deeper joy in the Spirit.] Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
• 1 Peter 4:12,13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
• Jude 24 [Jesus] is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

7. When we're walking in the Spirit, we'll be cheerful under almost any circumstances.

• Romans 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
• Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
• Galatians 5:22a But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.
• Ephesians 5:18-20 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Hebrews 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance.

8. Cheerful giving -- whether of ourselves or of our material blessings -- is an expression of love.

• 1 Chronicles 29:9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
• Proverbs 14:21b He that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
• 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. [See also 1 Chronicles 29:17; Acts 20:35.]
• Romans 12:8b,9a He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity, ... he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9a Let love be without dissimulation [hypocrisy].

9. Cheerfulness is contagious.

• Psalm 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
• Psalm 119:74a They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me.
• 2 Corinthians 1:24a [Christian leaders are to spread the joy of the Lord amongst believers.] We … are helpers of your joy.

10. Wisdom brings cheerfulness.

• Proverbs 3:13,18 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. … 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

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