Does the Bible command our joy? The answer…a resounding, “Yes.” Here are a few verses:

• Psalm 32:11 – “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart” Those are commands to rejoice.
• Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” That’s a command to delight in God.
  
• Luke 6:23 – “Rejoice in that day [that is the day of persecution], and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.” We are commanded to rejoice, to leap for joy even in hard times.
• Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” That’s a present, active imperative. You can’t write a command with more force than that.

Throughout the Bible we are commanded to rejoice, to delight in the Lord. This joy is not based on circumstances or possessions or health or wealth. No matter what situation we are in, in the good times and the bad, we are expected to find a joy that outweighs our circumstances.

So it’s not just that we should pursue pleasure, but we must. Anything less is disobedience; anything less than pursuing pleasure in God is sin. Indifference to the pursuit of joy in God is indifference to God himself, and that is sin.

Here’s the biblical conclusion:

Pursuing pleasure in God is not just commendable, but commanded.