NEWS ANALYSIS: UNHAPPY? BLUES ARE BUILT INTO PSYCHES
The word `happy` appears 23 times in the Bible, along with 60 instances of `joy,` and 130 references to `gladness.` But the biblical formula for happiness doesn't attract everyone.
https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C3949%2C%2C00.html
Joy as revealed in the Bible is based on knowing that true happiness is through Jesus Christ and the rewards of the afterlife. This does not appeal to most people since people want either immediate rewards for actions, something not readily seen by the unbeliever or those who really are not picking up the cross.
I think it can be difficult to understand what the joy is that is described in the Bible. We have our mortal views of joy and that clouds or eternal view.
I think when we read the scriptures and then personalize them it helps. One good way to do this is called capturing. So, read a scripture and then right down how it makes you feel. I think this will lead you towards the joy of which the Bible speaks.
I think this is true because the more we realize just how much our Father in Heaven and our Savior love us, the happier we become. To me that is the joy of the Bible.