My heart hurts as our society’s moral foundation appears to crumble. Everything feels topsy-turvy as many pursue what’s right in their own eyes. Life seems scary and uncertain. What can we depend on in this roller-coaster world? We need hope. Where do we go for truth?
Many voices demand our allegiance to their opinions, but there is one source of absolute truth: God’s Holy Word. The Bible is a supernatural book that still changes lives hundreds of years after being written.
When I need hope, I prayerfully go to the Bible. I look to Jesus, our unshakable foundation. Scripture tells us, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4 NIV).
Here are ten of my favorite Bible verses I meditate on for hope and encouragement:
- “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’”
(Hebrews 13:5b NIV).
We love our family and friends, but no one can guarantee their presence. People change, move, die, and despite the best intentions, we’re sometimes forsaken. Yet, our souls long to know there’s someone who will never leave us.
I’ve experienced a broken engagement, the death of both parents and many others I loved, friends who have moved away or who drifted away, and relationships I counted on that disappointed me.
God’s promise to never leave us is the rock I cling to. He’s always been there for me since I trusted Christ 55-plus years ago. I may drift from Him, but He’s always responded with love and grace the moment I cry out. He will never move, divorce, die, change, or stop listening and loving. Considering this magnificent promise, we never need to fear.
- “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13 NIV).
When I was younger, I would too often wrestle with doubting my salvation. It was a painful struggle. I would be fine until I heard someone preach or teach that if you know Jesus, you will behave according to their rules or accomplish certain acts that always seemed beyond my reach.
I struggled until God reminded me of the truth of this verse and many others like it. God promises that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is rescued from eternal death. Why did Jesus have to die? Because He knew it was impossible for us in our strength to be good enough to live in God’s holy presence. Only Jesus could live the perfect life required to satisfy the law of God.
I stand on the promise of God that because I believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I have eternal salvation.
- “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV).
Christ-followers belong to Him forever, but we will battle our sinful nature as long as we’re on this earth. Thankfully, we’re no longer slaves to sin. We can resist wrong desires and actions by relying on the Holy Spirit. But we will not reach perfection until we enter heaven.
Therefore, it’s important to confess our sins to God because unconfessed sin hinders our relationship with Him and eventually hardens our hearts. He promises that when we humbly admit our wrongdoing, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. What an encouraging promise!
Thank You, Jesus, for forgiving and cleansing me of all my sins. I need Your strength every day, every moment to live for You.
- “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 NIV).
I’ve often cherished this promise when I look at professing Christians including myself and I don’t see evidence of growth. When Jesus begins a work in someone’s heart, He finishes it. But we won’t see the final results until the day Jesus Christ returns.
God is always working in the hearts of His children. Some may resist more than others, but He will finish what He started.
- “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28 NIV).
If we could lose eternal life granted to us when we trust in Jesus Christ, then we should rename it temporary life. He says we’re His forever.
Our enemy, Satan, will lie to us and make us doubt we will live in heaven forever. Our flesh will disappoint us and cause us to question if God would let us live with Him. But He promises His children are safe in His hands and no one can take them away.
- “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” (John 16:33 NIV).
Jesus told us we would have trouble in this life so we shouldn’t be surprised when it comes. He never promised a pain-free life without problems. We still live in a sin-cursed world. Jesus died to redeem us but creation won’t be fully restored until the day He returns. Scripture tells us, “We know the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22 NIV).
We can have peace knowing Jesus has already redeemed all creation. Our hope is in Him. New-Testament writer, Paul, goes on to say, “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25 NIV). Yes, Jesus has already won the victory, but we wait patiently until the day His glory is fully revealed.
I cling to this truth as I’m confronted every day with more disturbing news. It sounds hopeless until I remember: Jesus said, “Take heart”!
- You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 NIV).
Satan, sometimes called the prince of this world, is a powerful enemy. He’s a master deceiver and his aim is to steal and kill and destroy. He hates God and all who follow Him. But he’s a defeated enemy.
A few years ago, I was feeling the burden of guilt. Thoughts bombarded me telling me how sinful I was. Reproach hammered my heart. Joy and peace fled. Then I remembered how the enemy condemns while God lovingly corrects. The above verse came to me.
In the power and name of Jesus Christ, I spoke, “I belong to Jesus Christ, and greater is He that is in me than the one in the world. Leave me alone, devil. I belong to Jesus and He loves me.” Joy and peace filled my heart.
- “The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1 NIV).
Psalm 23 is my favorite passage in the Bible and one I often meditate on. When I’m feeling empty or deprived, I remember this truth and He gives me peace.
With my heavenly Father as my Shepherd, I rest in the truth that He will take care of me. I have everything I need in Jesus.
- “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1 NIV).
As the emptiness, pain, and sorrow of this world assault my soul, this verse often comes to mind. God is the one I long for. He’s the only source of water for my soul. He has given me living water through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Whenever I begin to look for fulfillment and joy in what is temporal, I feel empty. When I turn to Jesus, He quenches my thirst. He’s the one I need.
- “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 BSB).
Living for God often feels impossible. Will I ever fully obey Him? I know how weak I am and how often I fail. I look at others and it seems like I’m so incapable compared to them.
Then I remember the truth of the verse above. God has already given me everything I need to live a godly life. Whatever He calls me to do, He will equip me to do. My part is to believe, trust, and then move forward in obedience.
These are only ten of hundreds of powerful truths and promises in God’s holy Word. Whatever the need of your heart, search the Bible either by hand or online to find what God says. Meditate on His truth and believe He will take care of you.
Father, thank You for such an incredible gift! To have Your words written down for us is a wealth we don’t fully comprehend. Help us take advantage of this treasure. May we hide its truth in our hearts and meditate on it day and night.
Originally published at iBelieve.com
Soaring with Butterfly Wings 