10 Powerful Bible Verses About Joy Every Mom Needs to Read
Inside: These Bible verses about joy will uplift and encourage you on the hard days. Plus, get a free printable verse checklist.
Have you ever collapsed on the couch at the end of the day, wondering how you’re supposed to keep doing this? The dishes are piled up, the laundry is mocking you, and your to-do list seems to have doubled overnight. You love your kids, but some days, joy feels far away.
Mama, you are not alone. And even more importantly—God’s joy is still yours to claim!
After one more hour-long battle, fighting encouraging my kids to go to bed, I drop, exhausted, onto the couch. But I can’t stay here long. One glance around my house shows me that bedtime for me is still a long time away.
I didn’t get my daily chore finished, the pots and pans from dinner are still on the stove, and I’m trying to ignore that pile of laundry–again.
It’s so easy to get discouraged in life’s messy, mundane tasks. I allow myself to get caught up in the sameness of it all. Motherhood is challenging, chaotic, and messy.
If I let myself dwell on all things that I can’t do, the things I have to do, or the things I don’t want to do, I feel sad. But sadness doesn’t have to be the norm for Christian moms!
When we focus on Jesus and God’s blessings, He fills our hearts with the joy of the Lord. And that’s a powerful promise!
The Difference Between Joy and Happiness
Joy and happiness are not the same. The world tells us that happiness is the goal. But happiness is fleeting—it’s based on circumstances. Joy, however, is rooted in Christ and remains even when life is hard.
- Happiness is circumstantial. It depends on things going right—when the kids are well-behaved, when the sun is shining, when life feels easy.
- Joy is a choice. It comes from trusting in God’s promises, even in difficult seasons.
- Happiness fades when trials come. A sick child, a financial struggle, a difficult day can make happiness disappear.
- Joy sustains us through trials. It reminds us that God is good, even when our circumstances are not.
Happiness is like a perfect summer day. Joy is like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm—strong, steady, and unwavering.
Even if you don’t feel happy today, you can have joy because of God’s promises.
Bonus: Keep reading to grab your free printable Bible Verses About Joy!
What Does the Bible Say About Joy?
The Bible has so much to say about being filled with joy! Here are a few things to know about everlasting joy and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Joy is a Fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Apostle Paul wrote these verses after giving a list of “works of the flesh.” As Christians we want to replace the sin of our old lives with the beautiful characteristics of God.
Joy Comes From Trusting the Lord.
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. Romans 15:13
Joy doesn’t come from good times, but it does come from trusting that God is working for your good. You can have hope and joy in Christ Jesus even in hard times.
The good news is that a joyful heart is available to all of us!
Joy Grows in Trials.
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:2-3)
Life is full of difficult times, but you can still experience joy. Even though we go through trials of various kinds–whether they’re in motherhood, marriage, faith, or elsewhere–God wants us to have joy.
Great joy comes through the testing of your faith. Our human minds can’t comprehend this. But we can see it played out in the lives of God’s people throughout history and in God’s Word. The outcome of your faith is joy in trials.
Joy is Found in God’s Presence.
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 16:11)
As a mom, I often allow the cares of my heart to overwhelm me. But when I focus on the presence of God instead of my difficult situations or inconveniences, it’s easier to see God’s blessings. Keeping my eyes on Him brings greater joy than I can find anywhere else.
10 Heartfelt Bible Verses About Joy
Now that we know how important joy is to Christian women, let’s dig into some verses. Claim these promises of God and live with the pure joy of God in your heart!
1. Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Motherhood is exhausting! We can’t face the challenges and trials on our own. If we rely on our own strength, we won’t make it very far. The joy of the Lord is our strength, even on difficult days.
To have strength, we need joy. To build joy, we need to spend time with the Lord every day, allowing Him to fill us up with His Holy Spirit.
2. 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.
Time with God fills us with lasting joy. Living in God’s presence starts with reading His Word and praying every day. But it doesn’t stop there. We have to dwell in His presence, filling our hearts with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
I love to play peaceful hymns in my house, allowing the peace of God to give me fullness of joy. Another tip is to use memory verses to remind yourself of the true source of joy. (Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable list.)
3. Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
If you remember your high school English lessons, you’ll know that this verse is an imperative sentence. In other words, it’s a command from God.
The Bible is not suggesting that we rejoice in the Lord. It’s commanding us to do it. It doesn’t say we can rejoice when times are good. It just says rejoice. All the time. Full stop.
We find the strength to rejoice when we depend on Jesus.
4. John 15:11
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15 is part of a special section of the New Testament where Jesus offered His disciples comfort and encouragement before His crucifixion. They didn’t know what was coming, and the pain that waited for them, but Jesus did.
He wanted them to have joy, and He wants us to have it, too. These words are meant to encourage us to have joy in hard times. Jesus knows that moms face trials of many kinds, and joy doesn’t come naturally. So, He offers us His joy when we can’t find it for ourselves.
5. 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.
Faith in God is the source of our joy. We have peace in hard times, because we know that God loves us, and is taking care of us. That peace overflows into a joyful heart, and joyful life.
How can Christians be filled with the glorious joy of the Lord? By resting in His hope through His Holy Spirit.
6. James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Living in South Carolina, I get to spend a lot of time at the beach. My favorite time to be there is when the water is smooth and gentle.
And I like my life to be that way, too.
Unfortunately, life is rarely easy and smooth! But the Bible says we can have more joy in hard times because God is working in us.
Having joy in a trial produces endurance–and what mom can’t use more of that?
7. 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:
As we’ve already discussed, happiness is temporary, but joy comes from a deep relationship with God. The joy we have in the Lord is beyond words. To someone who has never experienced the joy that comes from trusting in God, this joy doesn’t make sense.
You cannot explain it, because you can’t understand it. God’s love is amazing, and He can give peace, joy, and hope in tough times.
8. Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Have you ever bought a get-well card? Why do we do that? Because we know that raising a person’s spirits can help them feel better.
Joy is wonderful for our emotional and mental health. But joy can help us physically, too. Laughter is a good medicine.
9. Psalm 5:11
But 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.
We can have joy because we know that God defends us. He is taking care of us no matter what happens.
When you think about it, God has been so good to you that you can’t keep silent. Sometimes you just have to shout for joy.
Shout because God has done great things for you. Shout because He’s always with you. Shout because you have joy in your heart, no matter what’s happening in your life.
10. Habakkuk 3:17-18
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Sometimes, life falls apart. No matter how “together” your life seems, it can all come crashing down in an instant. Even in those times, God is good.
You can make the choice to have joy in hard seasons. Life is never perfect. In this verse, the trees of the field didn’t have fruit, the vines had no olives, and there were no animals in the barn. Hard times, indeed.
But just like this prophet, we can rejoice in the Lord, even when everything around us is going wrong.
These verses are powerful reminders that joy isn’t something we have to chase—it’s already ours in Christ! But in the busyness of motherhood, it’s easy to forget.
That’s why I’ve created a free printable with these 10 Bible verses about joy—so you can keep them close to your heart and home!
Download Your Free Bible Verses About Joy Checklist
Don’t just read these verses and go on your way! Download the beautiful printable list of these verses. Keep them nearby so you can refer to them when you need to add some joy to your life.
- Memorize the verses so you can recall them when you’re feeling low.
- Use them in your daily devotional time, or as part of your Scripture writing plan.
- Post the list on your fridge or mirror for daily encouragement.
Click here to download your free printable!
Choosing Joy Every Day
Motherhood is a beautiful, exhausting, joy-filled, and sometimes overwhelming journey. There will always be dishes in the sink, laundry waiting to be folded, and days that feel impossibly long. But in the midst of it all, we have a choice.
We can let the weight of the day steal our joy, or we can fix our eyes on Jesus—the source of true, unshakable joy.
The world tells us that joy is found in comfort, ease, or perfect circumstances, but the Bible tells us otherwise. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, a gift from God that remains even when life is hard.
It’s not about ignoring our struggles, but about choosing to trust in God’s goodness, even in the messiness of everyday life.
So, mama, take a deep breath. God sees you. He loves you. He is with you.
Whether today is smooth sailing or full of chaos, His joy is available to you.
So today, take one small step. Pick one of these verses, write it down, and keep it in a place you’ll see often. Pray it over your home, your children, and your heart. And as you go through your day, choose joy.
I’d love to hear from you—what’s one Bible verse about joy that encourages you? Share in the comments below!
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