15 Bible Verses About Patience in Hard Times
I don’t do well with interrupted plans. If you have trouble being patient and kind when your plans are interrupted, this is for you. We’ll begin by looking at 15 Bible verses about patience in hard times. Then, we’ll discuss ways to exude patience when our plans are interrupted.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you connect with God in difficult times.
15 Bible Verses About Patience in Hard Times
Here are God’s Words about patience in hard times.
Bible Verses About Patience in Hard Times
1. Romans 12:2
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (ESV).
Enduring difficult times is never easy. God calls us to be patient during these times because he uses suffering to refine us, making us look more like Jesus.
2. Ephesians 4:2
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.
This verse teaches us how to treat others: with humility, gentleness, patience, and love. We’ll discuss this in greater depth shortly.
3. 1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.
Love is a verb.
We love others by being patient and kind even when our buttons are pushed. This is never easy, but patience is the fruit of sincere love.
4. Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
We must exercise patience when waiting for God to act. God’s timing is always perfect.
Be strong, take heart, and keep waiting for him. His ways are not our ways, but he will never abandon his children. He also promises to finish what he starts (see Phil. 4:6).
Ask God to give you courage as you wait for him. In the meantime, he will show you how to be strong and keep working while you wait.
5. Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
Remind yourself that God is looking for ways to show kindness and mercy to you. He might seem silent, but this does not mean he isn’t working in your life.
6. Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
Part of patience is learning to wait on the Lord. The other dimension involves being kind to others and using self-control.
Those who are slow to anger honor God.
7. 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.
God is with us. We can rest in this as we wait for his perfect timing.
While we wait, he promises to strengthen us and help us. He is upholding you with this right hand.
8. Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
We are called to bear the fruit of the Spirit. Patience is fruit that cannot be displayed apart from God’s work in our lives.
If you are struggling to bear the fruit of patience, press close to Jesus. Ask God to help you. He wants to transform you with the power of his Holy Spirit.
9. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
We are called to be patient with others. We do this by admonishing those who are not working hard, encouraging the weary, helping the weak, and extending patience in all circumstances.
10. Romans 5:3,4
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
Are you weary from waiting on God? Are you tired of suffering?
Don’t lose heart. God is using this time to help you grow in character and maturity.
He will use this time of waiting for your good and his glory. Without the work that is taking place in your heart today, you won’t have the character you need to step into your dream when the time is right.
11. Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
The best news in the darkest valley of waiting is that Jesus is still walking with you. He won’t leave your side.
No matter what your season of waiting looks like, rest in the promise that Jesus is with you. He is protecting you, defending you, and loving you. You can trust him to deliver you at the right time.
12. Colossians 3:12
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Just as we get dressed in clothing each morning, we need to put on our spiritual clothing. This includes compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
13. Proverbs 14:29
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
We honor God when we are slow to anger, learning to restrain our tempers.
14. Ecclesiastes 7:9
Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
When we act in anger, we generally make poor decisions. Rather than acting foolishly, God calls us to be slow to anger.
15. Proverbs 16:32
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Ask God to help you grow in patience. This is a prayer he will answer.
We’re going to shift gears now, and I’ll share a personal story about applying these Bible verses about patience in hard times to our lives.
Read here for 15 Bible verses about patience in hard times. #patience Share on XAn Application of These Bible Verses About Patience in Hard Times
Morning birdsong twists through the sleepy spruce needles, and a grey squirrel carries a mouthful of leaves across the deck. I sit by the window and get lost in the scene as I read Psalms and sip black coffee. I have no idea that this morning’s quiet time is about to become a test of being patient when my plans are interrupted.
“It’s Friday, and we haven’t practiced my spelling list. The test is today,” my responsible daughter declares from behind me, interrupting my morning reverie.
The last thing I feel like doing at this moment is practicing spelling words. Before responding to her, I consider my options: I can set aside this life-giving Bible reading and patiently listen to the recitation of 20 two-syllable words, or I can tell my little girl to do her best and see how things turn out.
“Go get your list,” I respond, desperately trying to sound peppy instead of irritated.
We plunge into the list, and my shoulder blade twitches with stress as I glance at the clock and think about everything I need to do this morning.
“Lord, help me embrace this moment with my child,” I pray quietly.
Let Anxiety Be a Prompt
Suddenly, I see my twitching shoulder blade in a new light.
Instead of sending me down a heart-racing trail of anxiety, the twitch feels like a prompt. It’s like a gentle whisper saying, “Stacey, something is not right. You are anxious because you’re looking ahead again. Breathe. Love your daughter. Be present.”
The whisper immediately reframes my perspective.
I pause to admire my sweet girl’s long brown hair.
I let myself marvel at the way her pink shirt drapes over her long arms, and I wonder where the years have gone.
We slowly practice all 20 words, and we don’t hurry so I can get back to the “more important tasks” of Bible reading and coffee drinking.
After my little girl scurries upstairs to finish getting ready for school, I have an honest moment with myself. Who am I to say that reading my Bible first thing every morning is always the most important task?
Bible reading is a good way to begin each day, but when I’m so fixed on my agenda that I fail to receive an interruption straight from the hand of God, it’s safe to say I’m not walking in step with the Spirit.
Being Patient When Life Is Interrupted
What about you, friend?
When’s the last time an interruption tested your patience—even for a moment?
Maybe it was a long line of red lights when you were late for a meeting.
It might have been a phone call from a friend at exactly the wrong time.
Maybe it was an errand your husband asked you to add to an already endless list, a child holding a book, or an unexpected knock on your door.
Determining which interruptions are worthy of our attention requires discernment. A phone call from a friend when you’re on a date with your husband, a ding on your social media feed when you’re entrenched in work, or an incoming text message when you’re having a quiet moment in prayer probably aren’t interruptions you should tend to.
However, many interruptions are opportunities to embrace your calling. In his book The Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life, Henri Nouwen wrote:
“While visiting the University of Notre Dame, where I had been a teacher for a few years, I met an older experienced professor who had spent most of his life there. And while we strolled over the beautiful campus, he said with a certain melancholy in his voice, ‘You know, my whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered that my interruptions were my work.'”
The Interruptions Are Our Work
Throughout most of my adult life, self-effort has been goading me to focus on the work in front of me and always put work first. Self-effort tells me to send away anything that interrupts my work.
Meanwhile, God’s grace offers a different invitation.
Grace tells me to slow down, lean into the Lord, and recognize that the interruptions to my work are the work.
I want to learn to see life’s daily interruptions as my high and holy calling. We become women of grace when we learn to stop resenting the people who interrupt our work.
Sweet friend, the people are our work.
We become women of grace when we learn to stop resenting the people who interrupt our work. Sweet friend, the people are our work. #interruptions #love Share on X
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.
Calling All Boy Moms (and Dads!)
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 for You
If these Bible verses about patience in hard times blessed you, I have a gift for you. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. This short devotional will help you experience God’s joy, connect with him in fresh ways, overcome bad habits, and rise above insecurity. Find it for free here.
