Bible Verses About Hope: Staying Positive In The Midst Of Hardship

We all need hope.

In the past couple of years I’ve been getting more and more emails and comments on this site from people who are in the midst of turmoil in their lives.

I’ve heard from people going through divorces, people who have lost their jobs, and those who are struggling with illness.

One thing that almost all of them have in common is that they’re grasping for something to give them hope.

Hope that things will get better. Hope for healing. Hope that God will be with them while they’re going through turbulent times.

The Bible has a lot to say about hope, and today I want to take a brief, and hopefully encouraging look at why we as Christians should have hope in Christ.

Bible Verses About Hope In God

The Bible talks about how when we have faith in Christ, we have a hope for things eternal, things that will never decay or waste away.

“Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.” – C.S. Lewis

A Christian’s hope isn’t an escape or wishful thinking, as C.S. Lewis says, but something that a Christian is meant to do.

We have hope in eternal life, which means that we can attack today with a renewed vigor and strength.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 5:1 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Without Christ there is no hope.” -Charles Spurgeon

Psalm 39:7 And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

1 Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

Psalm 71:5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalm 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

Psalm 33:18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Job 5:15-16 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

Every thing that is done in the world is done by hope – Martin Luther

Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

Psalm 119:81 My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.

Psalm 9:18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

2 Corinthians 3:12-14 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

Psalm 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Titus 1:1-2 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Bible Verses About Hope For The Future

The future can be a scary thing, with so many uncertainties. Who knows what tomorrow might bring?

When we have faith in Christ, however, we have hope not only in this life, but in the next. The future, while uncertain, can be entrusted to God, and He will help us through.

Proverbs 23:18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. – Corrie Ten Boom

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand. -Thomas Aquinas

Proverbs 24:14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Colossians 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Ephesians 1:18 Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Job 11:18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.

Why We Should Have Hope

Why should we have hope in Christ?  Because he has plans for us for good, to give us a future and a hope for better things, either in this life or the next.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 6:19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

Lamentations 3:24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Psalm 147:11 But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Bible Verses About Hope For Healing

When in this life we face trials, tribulations, sickness and pain, God is with us.

He helps us to renew our strength.

He heals our wounds, physical, emotional and spiritual.

He tells us to not let our hearts be troubled, and to not be afraid.  He will meet our needs, both in sickness, and in healing.

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 8:24-25 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not 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.

Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Jeremiah 30:17 ‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord

Philippians 4:19  And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Bible Verses About Suffering, Perseverance And Hope

Even though we are to have hope in the future God has for us, there are going to be times when we have suffering and pain in our lives.  God tells us that that suffering helps produce in us perseverance and character, which will lead to hope.

So while we’re in the midst of suffering, we should look to Him, not only to give us strength, but to give us patience and the ability to endure. Better things are yet to come!

Romans 5:1-5 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 perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

“Our world today so desperately hungers for hope, yet uncounted people have almost given up. There is despair and hopelessness on every hand. Let us be faithful in proclaiming the hope that is in Jesus.” -Billy Graham

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Psalm 31:24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

Psalm 10:17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Joel 3:16 The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

“Only when our greatest love is God, a love that we cannot lose even in death, can we face all things with peace. Grief was not to be eliminated but seasoned and buoyed up with love and hope.” -John Piper

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Psalm 71:14 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Titus 3:7 So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer’s life. John C. Broger

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Hebrews 6:18-19 So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

Psalm 38:15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Psalm 33:22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

More Bible Verses To Equip, Strengthen And Encourage

Hopefully, the verses in this article above have given you some hope for the future, a renewed faith in God, and an assurance that he’s always with you. With him we always have hope!

We’ve written quite a few articles over the years exploring what the Bible has to say on various topics. Here are a few to get you started.

• Bible Verses About The Power Of Prayer
• Bible Verses About Money
• Bible Verses About Not Giving Up
• Bible Verses About Investing
• Bible Verses About How To Get Rich Quick
• Bible Verses About Contentment
• Bible Verses About Thanksgiving & Appreciation
• Bible Verses About Worry
• Bible Verses of Encouragement
• 8 Important Bible Verses About Money For Christians To Know
• Bible Verses About Having Strength In Hard Times
• Bible Verses About Overcoming Adversity
• Bible Verses About Love
• Short Bible Verses About Strength, Hope, Faith and Love

Looking for more hope from His word? Free Bibles can be found at a variety of places if you don’t already have one.