60 Inspiring Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times

There is no end to facing difficult times this side of heaven. The tough times are experienced with our 5 senses, yet our hope is in things yet unseen. Hope is defined as, “To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future. When we face personal struggles or uncertain times, the Word of God can sometimes seem hard to believe. (Bible verses about hope in hard times below). Or we may experience “spiritual amnesia” when everything we know in the light disappears when darkness comes.

The only way to hold onto hope is by studying God’s Word. This article outlines 60 bible verses about hope in hard times. Grasping onto the promises of God by clinging to the Truth of Scripture will strengthen your faith in difficult circumstances. There are God’s promise of future hope, but there is also promises right now for His people. Such as the promise to be present with us through various trials. He also promises to faithfully complete a good work in us and to use everything for our good and His glory. The Scriptures remind us that nothing is wasted in God’s economy. That gives us hope in hard times no matter what life throws our way.

60 Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an very present help in trouble.”

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Psalm 27:13-14 “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Hebrews 6:19 “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” 

James 1:2-3 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” 

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” 

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Romans 5:5 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” 

Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”

Psalm 33:22 “May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Job 36:15 “But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.” 

Psalm 34:19 “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Psalm 23:1-3 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” 

Romans 5:1-4 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces endurance; endurance produces character; and character produces hope.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Isaiah 41:13 “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” 

Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” 

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Romans 8:24-25 “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him”

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Habakkuk 3:19 “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

Psalm 118:14 “The Lord is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation.”

Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Psalm 32:7-8 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Psalm 29:11 “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

Psalm 138:3 “When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.”

Philippians 4:6-7  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Praying for Hope in Hard Times

When there is a gap we have to bring it to God in prayer. It can feel like a gulf exists between our pain and His promises. This is where the enemy wants to fill us with doubt about the character and promises of God. The gap brings lots of hard questions about ourselves and our heavenly Father. God is not interested in us pretending the hard questions don’t exist. He invites us to bring them to Him. Praying the Bible verses about hope in hard times is how we can depend on God. God will enable us to believe the unbelievable when we are in trials of various kinds. How are you depending on God in prayer to ignite His promises of hope in your broken heart?

Wrapping Up: Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times

I encourage you to choose the best bible verses from the list above and write them on a notecard. When you start to doubt the promises and character of God, shift your eyes to Him. Resist the temptation to focus on the uncertain and shift to what we know for certain. God is certain. His Word is certain. What we know for certain is, there is purpose in our pain. Nothing in God’s economy is wasted. Scripture reminds us that he is using everything, even our suffering, for our good and His glory. The Lord delights to meet you where you are. We can rest in him in every difficult situation. 

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