6 Powerful Bible Verses About Hope in Suffering
Pale winter sunlight slips through the curtain, and splashes of cobalt rupture heaven’s veil. Winter feels long in these parts. Hard circumstances are unfolding in the world around us, and I open crinkled pages in search of a few Bible verses about hope in suffering.
Our family isn’t suffering hard this winter, but we know what it is to suffer.
Perhaps you know a thing or two about suffering as well.
No two kinds of suffering are exactly the same. I can’t pretend to know what yours looks like on this day. It might be the sting of a recent disappointment or a heavy cloud of grief. Regardless of its form, God invites us to draw near to him in times of suffering and heartache.
Powerful Bible Verses About Hope in Suffering
I think back to the hard winters we’ve faced and read these words: “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now” (Exodus 33:15 MSG).
Moses is talking with God about God’s promise to deliver his people, and I can relate with Moses. I’ve spoken these words more times than I can count: “God, if you don’t go with me, I don’t want to go.”
These are the words I want to speak when it comes to walking through suffering, too. I want to look to the One who knit me together in my mother’s womb and ask him to go with me.
I think of this as I remember the last words Jesus spoke before ascending into heaven: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
4 Words That Change Everything
Perhaps these words hold the secret to navigating suffering: If I can just remember Jesus goes with me, I can make it through any hard season. Jesus-with-me is my hope in times of suffering.
If I can just remember Jesus goes with me, I can make it through any hard season, and this is my hope in the midst of suffering. #suffering #HopeinJesus Share on X
Jesus speaks these four words to remind us where we find our hope: “I’m going with you.”
He says,
I’m going with you to the ER,
to the cemetery,
through the breakup,
to the new job that feels scary,
into the pain of the failed marriage,
through the dark valley of grief,
as you endure the sickness,
through this loss that feels like a punch to the gut.
My child, I’m going with you.
6 Comforting Bible Verses About Hope in Suffering
Friend, do you feel like you’re alone in your suffering?
Despite your feelings, you are not alone. Cling to these words about the One who will never leave you to suffer alone:
1. God gives us all we need to be strong, courageous, and unafraid.
Let’s cling to this promise today:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 ESV
Because God is with us, we don’t need to be afraid. He promises never to leave us, and he will carry us through the darkest valleys.
2. We are upheld by the right hand of God:
Here is our promise:
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. Isaiah 41:10
God’s right hand denotes action. God has not stopped acting in our lives. He waits to strengthen us, and he upholds us with his righteous right hands. Lean into him if you are suffering today.
3. God is in our midst, and he is singing over us:
Here is a beautiful truth for hope amid suffering:
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save . . . he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17
When our children suffer with fevers, bad dreams, and fears of all sorts, I often hold them in the night and sing over them.
In the same way, God sings over us. He wants to quiet us with his love. He is a good Father, and he invites us to draw near to him for comfort when life is tough.
I invite you to close your eyes and imagine God holding you in his arms. Imagine him singing over you. He delights in you. Let his love wash over you.
Powerful Bible Verses About Hope in the One Who Will Not Forsake You:
4. Nothing can separate us from God’s love:
Let’s remind ourselves of these words when we are suffering in life:
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
During times of suffering, it can be tempting to wonder if God has taken his love away from us.
We cannot understand everything God permits, but we can trust that his love can never be taken away from his children. Rest in this love today. He won’t waste your suffering.
5. God is not just with you, he is in you:
Cling to these powerful words about the indwelling of God’s power within you:
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16
Because God dwells in you, you can trust in him to comfort you, sustain you, and support you. He has poured out his Spirit on all of his children, and his Holy Spirit equips us to face even the darkest days in his strength, with his peace. If you lack peace and strength as you suffer, ask God, through the power of his Spirit, to fill you with the peace that passes understanding. His peace will give you strength.
6. God has already prepared the path where your feet now tread:
May we find comfort and hope in the midst of suffering as we hold onto this promise about God’s presence:
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8
When I feel worried or anxious, a close friend often reminds me, “God is already there.”
No matter what you are facing today, God is already there. He is beside you, behind you, within you, and ahead of you. Nothing can take him by surprise. Trust that he will lead you, sustain you, and give you all you need.
Apply These Bible Verses About Hope to Your Life
I don’t know what lies ahead for our family or for your family in the months to come. What I do know is that for those who have called upon Christ for salvation, he goes with us, and he is our hope in times of suffering.
A Free Online Devotional With More Bible Verses About Hope
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.
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