Best Bible Verses about Hope in Hard Times
Most of us are no strangers to hard times. The world was turned upside down in the last couple of years. Many readers were sick. Many lost family members or friends. Businesses have suffered or had to close. One thing that we need in times like these is hope. But where does real, lasting hope come from? We find it in Bible verses about hope in hard times.

You may be wondering right now,
- Does the Bible talk about hope and encouragement in difficult times?
- What promises does God give us for hard times?
- How can I keep my faith in difficult times?
These are great questions and deserve answers. We will cover them in the next few minutes.
What Does the Bible Say About Hope in Difficult Times?
Probably one of the most difficult times in the history of the Nation of Israel was in the late 500’s BC when many of the people were taken captive to a foreign country. They lost their homes, business, and security. And for those who were left behind, most were murdered. Families were separated by distance and death.
Does that resonate with many of us today? Absolutely. Those who have lost their homes to wildfires in California or flooding in the Midwest can relate. Those who lost their businesses during the pandemic can relate. Modern-day refugees can relate. And the many who have lost family and friends in the last year can relate.
But the Bible says that there is hope in difficult times. God promised the people in captivity that He was with them. He gave them instructions to continue living as normal as possible. And throughout Scripture, He promises that He will not leave us alone when we are facing hard times. For those in the Bible who were facing persecution, He promised that He would give them the right words to say. And those same promises, as well as many more, remain our lifeline to hope in difficult times.
What Does God Promise in Hard Times?
One of the best promises that God has given to those who love Him is that He will turn hard times into something good. In the initial aftermath of something difficult, we may find this hard to believe. But countless people down through the ages found that they could count on God to keep this promise. In time, we too will see that the things that are so hard to endure eventually blossom into something beautiful. This is what God promises in hard times.
What is a Good Bible Verse for Hope?
A good Bible verse for hope is found in Romans 8:28 where it reads,
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” KJV
Another good Bible verse for hope is found in Genesis 50:20 where it reads,
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” KJV
These were the words of Joseph after he experienced many injustices. Imagine being sold into slavery, later being falsely accused of rape, and finally being thrown into prison. Yet Joseph knew that God always has a good plan. How I want to be able to trust God that way. The Bible has many more good verses for Hope.
Bible Verses about Hope in Hard Times
It is unfortunate that people often break their promises to us. But God is not like that. And He has given us many Bible verses about hope in hard times. God is faithful when others are not. He will not leave us when others do. And He cares about us when others don’t.
King David penned these words:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” Psalm 46:1-2
He experienced hard times just like many other Biblical characters. Yet He trusted God.
Bible Verses about Hope and Encouragement
One of the greatest Bible verses about hope and encouragement is found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
God knows that life hurts sometimes and so he offers us comfort. He then asks us to pass that same comfort on to someone else. In doing so, we demonstrate His love to those around us.
More Bible verses that I find comforting are:
- “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.“ Matthew 11:28
- “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10
Bible Verses about Faith In Hard Times
This is a great example of faith in hard times:
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17-18
Essentially the writer is saying that everything is falling apart. But he knows that hope does not come from financial security, prosperity, or power. These things can be gone in the blink of an eye. Hope comes from God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
It is important for us to know Bible Verses about Faith in Hard Times. One of the tactics of the enemy is to strike fear in our hearts which can lead to not trusting God. So we know first of all that faith comes from Bible verses, which are the word of God.
- “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
- “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
- “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
- “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Psalm 62:5-7
Jehosaphat was another Biblical leader that was “caught between a rock and a hard place” as the saying goes. His city was surrounded by enemy armies and if everything played out as expected, the entire city would be destroyed. This then is his prayer:
“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” 2 Chronicles 20:12
So, the way we maintain our faith is to keep our spiritual eyes on God. And that is done by thinking about the many Bible verses about hope in hard times.
Bible Verses about Patience In Hard Times
A friend once told me that when life is hard, we can become bitter or better. It is the patience we learn in difficult times that makes us better. It is a temptation to take matters into our own hands. We want the answers as soon as possible because hard times are not comfortable. However, the Bible says:
- “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12
- “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” Romans 12:12
- “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.” Romans 5:3-4
Short Bible Verses about Hope In Hard Times
When we are in the middle of a difficult situation, it may be hard to remember all of the Bible verses about hope in hard times. For this reason, I would encourage you to memorize shorter verses that will come to mind automatically when you need it. And for longer verses, memorizing the concepts is a good practice until you can get the exact wording down. So here are some great Short Bible Verses about Hope In Hard Times.
- “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
- “For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:15b
- “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Nahum 1:7
- “ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
- “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37
- “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Psalm 56:3
- “My times are in thy hand.” Psalm 31:15a
Final thoughts
None of us really likes to go through hard times. They are uncomfortable and stretch us far more than we want. Even Jesus in His physical body asked to have the cross cancelled. Yet, His prayer to His Father was, “Not my will, but thine”.
Because God knows that life is not always easy, He has given us many Bible verses about hope in hard times. He also promises to be with us. God will not abandon us when life gets rough. Best of all, we can look forward to eventually seeing something good come from the very circumstances that were so hard to endure.
God is good. Let’s thank Him for the gift of Bible verses that give us hope in hard times.
You might also like to read: How to Have Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts