10 Bible Verses for Strength and Healing
We watch chickadees flutter above the deck, and the snow melts all over again for the sixth time this winter. Just when we start to believe things are looking warmer, a bitter north wind descends and everything alive turns back to ice again. I open my Bible in search of Bible verses for strength and healing at the end of this long season.
If you need this encouraging truth, I invite you to read to the bottom of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you experience God’s healing and hope.
10 Bible Verses for Strength and Healing
The storms just keep rolling in, one right after another, and I wrap our little boy in a blanket on my lap as we watch the chickadees out the window.
I find that in winter, I like to place my hope in the promise that spring will come again. I like to dream of warmer days and children splashing in baby pools and the sun darkening my ashen skin as we rest on the sandy bank of a creek somewhere.
When life is hard, it’s tempting to put our hope in the light at the end of the tunnel.
It’s tempting to close our eyes and dream of a different season when the cares of today are washed away.
It’s tempting to put all of our hope in the coming day when the painful diagnosis is reversed, the broken relationship is restored, the grief finally lifts, or the crisis passes.
Watching the chickadees, I’m reminded that my hope doesn’t rest in the promise that my circumstances will improve.
Circumstances might improve, but there aren’t any promises that things will turn out exactly as we hope. Our hope doesn’t rest in the promise that vacation will be refreshing, winter will turn to blissful spring, or wrongs will be made right in this lifetime. Hope rests in this: Jesus has promised that he will be with us always (Matthew 28:20). #hopeinJesus #defeatingfear Share on X
Hope built solely upon improved circumstances is likely to become hope deferred. The hope that anchors me is the fact that Jesus is with me in the winter seasons of my life just as he is with me in the warm season of summer. He is with us in the sorrow, the uncertainty, and the fear, and he is with us in the joy, the celebration, and the victory.
Jesus Is Our Strength
Our circumstances might improve.
But if they don’t, we hold onto hope when we cling to the One who promises to walk with us through it all.
We let the hard times come and refuse to be offended that he permitted the hard times, we trust that he really won’t leave us, and we believe he’ll use the winter seasons to make us more like him.
When we’re not certain of where to turn amid the winter storms, he invites us to find shelter in the comfort of his wings. In the shadow of his wings, we find refuge, kindness, love, security, protection, and joy. Yes, even joy.
It has been said that it is far easier to replace a negative emotion with a truth than to simply cast it out and leave vacant space. As we cast out fear and make room for hope, let’s explore what this might look like on a practical level. Let’s soak in ten powerful Bible verses for strength and healing.
10 Powerful Bible Verses for Strength and Healing
1. Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
Have you ever felt like you needed a shield from the world around you or even a shield from your own ruminating thoughts?
Run to Jesus for strength.
He will be your shield.
2. Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
We often feel empty inside when we feel all alone. This promise was for God’s children thousands of years ago. It is also a promise for us today.
God will never leave you or abandon you.
He is with you right now. Ask him to help you become more aware of his presence as he fills you with his peace.
3. 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.
When life is tough, God promises to stay with us. He wants to give us strength.
God is upholding you with his right hand. Rest in this truth today. You are not alone.
4. 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.
These powerful verses teach us that nothing can take God’s love away from us.
You might feel like you’ve disappointed God. Maybe you’ve been ignoring him because you figure he’s disappointed in you or frustrated with you.
On the other hand, perhaps a difficult loss in your life led you to question God. Disappointed and disheartened, maybe you turned away from God. Perhaps you assume he turned away from you, too.
With all the gentleness in my heart, I encourage you to soak in the words of Romans 8:38-39.
Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
Nothing you do, no matter how horrible and shameful it might feel, can ever take God’s love away from you. He is a good Father, and he has not rejected you. He is looking for you and waiting for you, watching for you and missing you. His arms are open, and the moment you turn toward him, he will run to you and embrace you.
5. Isaiah 66:13
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you . . .
God longs to comfort you in the same way a loving mother comforts her child. Loving mothers hold their children through the long hours of the night. They sing over their children and care for their most vulnerable needs.
God loves you and offers this same comfort. He is waiting for you to turn to him and receive his comfort.
Turning to God for comfort might look like taking a long walk and asking him to fill you with his peace. It might look like lying in your bed and imagining him holding you or listening to worship music and imagining yourself in his glorious presence.
God wants to comfort you today. Ask him to show you what to do as you seek this comfort. He is waiting to show you.
6. 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.
We all face trouble in life. Some of us immediately revert to crisis mode when troubles come. We’re caught off-guard and filled with anxiety.
Meanwhile, Jesus promised that we will all have trouble in life. Difficult times aren’t the exception; they are the norm.
Nevertheless, Jesus didn’t speak these words to discourage us. He wants to be our source of peace in life’s troubled times. He invites us to draw near to him and find courage and strength as we remember that he reigns over every authority on earth.
7. Jeremiah 31:3
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
God pursues us with his everlasting love. His love never fails and never runs out. There is nothing you can do to change his love for you.
Right now, he is looking for ways to draw you closer with his kindness.
When you feel alone, consider connecting with God through the three steps below.
8. Psalm 57:1
Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by.
Imagine a baby bird curled up in the shelter of its mother’s wings. God is with you, and he is offering you shelter in the storms of life.
There is no fear in this place.
He promises to offer refuge in the shelter of his wings.
9. Psalm 36:7
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
What do we find in the shelter of God’s wings? We find lovingkindness.
Lovingkindness is God’s tender love in action. For strength and healing, run toward God’s love.
God is on the move in your life. He wants you to see his love in action as it unfolds around you: in the kindness of a stranger or friend, in the beauty of a sunrise, in the gentle whisper of the wind, and perhaps most of all, in the promises of his written Word.
10. Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
Find your identity here when the storms of life arise.
Beneath the shelter of God’s wings, we find security. We find a safe place to fall. We also find our identities.
You are the apple of God’s eye. You are his beloved child and his precious possession. No evil will befall you outside God’s gaze. Find strength and healing here.
Winter carries on here, and the chickadees keep searching for food. We wrap ourselves in another blanket and claim the joy that comes when learn to rest in the shadow of his wings.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
A Devotional for Boys
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional Filled With Bible Verses for Strength and Healing:
I have a gift for you today. Hope for Hard Days is a free 10-day online devotional to help you hold onto hope when life is tough. You will find 10 readings to help you connect with God and claim his peace. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today for free with promo code HOPE.
