Lyrics
Verse 1
I'm pulling on joy from Heaven's reserve
He's stored up enough, for every winter I'm served
I'm seeing beyond my circumstance
This joy that I have is my Inheritance
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord
Chorus
The joy, the joy
The joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy, oh, the joy
The joy of the Lord is my strength
Oh-oh-oh, He is my hope (Yes, He is)
The joy, the joy
The joy of the Lord is my strength
Verse 2
There is a Savior in the valley place
He's walking beside me and He knows my pain
God, the beginning and the end
God, right there in the midst of it
Joy, this is the Joy of the Lord
Chorus (Repeat)
Bridge 1
Mm, there's gonna be glory
There's gonna be glory
There will be glory after this
No need to worry
In this present suffering
There will be glory after this (Repeat x3)
Chorus (Repeat)
Verse 3
There is a King seated on His throne
Prepared a place that I'll call my home
And there I will see Him face to face
He'll wipe every tear from my face
Joy, this is the Joy of the Lord
Chorus (Repeat x2)
Bridge 2 (Repeat)
Put on strength
Put on joy
Put on love
And don't take it off
The only way the world will change is if we put on strength, put on joy, put on love, and don't take it off
We won't take it off
The joy of the Lord, we won't take it off
Peace of the Lord, we won't take it off
Power of the Lord, we won't take it off
Strength of the Lord, we won't take it off
Spirit of the Lord, we won't take it off
Bridge 3
I will hold You forever, Lord, close to me
And I won't let go
I will hold You forever, God, and I won't let go
Won't let go of Your hand (Repeat)
I am safe there and secure there
Not fighting for attention, fighting for affection
I belong there
I know where I belong
In the safety of Your presence
Outro
You've been holding me for a long time
You have my commitment
This is a vow made to You
This is a promise I make to You
Holding Your hand that has kept me
Holding Your hand has sustained me
I won't let it go, I'll hold on
Oh, the hand of Jesus carries value
The hand of Jesus carries weight
I hold onto the weight today
I connect to the hand that has carried me through
I connect to the hand that has walked me through
I'll never let go of Your hand
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Joy Of The Lord" is a worship song that opens by naming joy not as a fleeting mood but as something drawn from a heavenly reserve stored up in advance for hardship. Early verses acknowledge pain directly, describing a Savior present in the valley rather than joy that ignores suffering, before repeating a chorus built on a well-known Old Testament claim: the joy of the Lord is strength, and hope rests in Him. A middle section promises glory after present suffering, encouraging patience rather than worry about difficulty that has not yet resolved. A later section shifts from declaring joy to a sustained, repeated vow, holding onto God's hand and refusing to let go, describing safety and belonging found specifically in staying close rather than in circumstances improving. Structurally the song moves from proclamation to promise to a long, chant-like commitment, letting a congregation move from stating a belief about joy to enacting a decision to hold on regardless of what comes next.
Related Scripture
- Nehemiah 8:10 States that the joy of the Lord is strength, the exact claim repeated throughout the song's chorus.
- Romans 8:18 Describes present suffering as incomparable to future glory, matching the bridge's promise of glory after this.
- John 10:28 Promises that no one can snatch believers out of God's hand, matching the song's repeated vow to never let go of God's hand.