Most Christians know that they hope in God and his word. However, while we have this knowledge, life often presents obstacles that get in the way of our faith. It can be hard to hold onto that hope, especially in the hard times. The good news is that we’re not left alone to try and maintain our encouragement. Instead, there are multiple Bible verses about hope and how it applies to our lives.
Why is Hope Hard?
There are many reasons why hope doesn’t come easily. The first reason is that hoping in God doesn’t come naturally to broken people in today’s world. We have to be constantly reminded that we have a greater purpose or else we’ll give in to the dissatisfaction that’s so easy to find.
We also find hope hard because it requires faith. However, when you have Biblical hope, it doesn’t exclude good things for the future. Instead, it expects those good things will happen. Although we know that not all of our desires are going to come true, we know that our ultimate hope is going to come through for us.
Finally, hope is hard for us to practice since we don’t always understand it. The distinctive meaning of hope in the Bible is much different than the way that we use it. Like mentioned, hope is a certainty, not doubt, those good things will occur. Biblical hope is a confident expectation and a desire for something good in the future.
Connecting Faith, Hope, and Love
The reason why hope is linked to faith and love so many times in the Bible is that they are connected to each other. Hope is rooted in the faithfulness of God and his love for us. We’re told in the Bible that we have a full assurance of faith instead of saying that we have a full assurance of hope or love. This is because our faith and love may waiver, but our hope is designed to be steady.
Keeping hope in hard times doesn’t come easily though. We know that there have been times when we’ve struggled to have hope. This could be due to a personal loss, career changes, or simply understanding the state of the world today. However, we are reminded time and time again that God is a God of hope and that we are encouraged daily through the Bible scriptures.
What Do We Hope For?
Understanding what hope is requires that you understand more specifically what we hope to achieve or experience. As Christians, we hope that we have eternal life. This is our primary hope. We also hope that we will be like Christ. That over time, we will become more like our God as we grow.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Psalm 42:11
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Psalm 121:7-8
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Romans 5:3-4
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
Lamentations 3:24
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Psalm 33:22
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 25:5
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
Romans 5:5
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answerto everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Ephesians 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
Colossians 1:27
To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Proverbs 24:14
Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Ephesians 1:18
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
Final Thoughts
If you are struggling to understand and believe these principles, you have to go no further than the Bible. It’s not hard to understand hope when you can read it in Scripture verses. When getting started studying hope, start with the Bible. This will let you see the promises of God that help us to maintain our hope even in the most difficult circumstances.
Bible Verses About Hope
Most Christians know that they hope in God and his word. However, while we have this knowledge, life often presents obstacles that get in the way of our faith. It can be hard to hold onto that hope, especially in the hard times. The good news is that we’re not left alone to try and maintain our encouragement. Instead, there are multiple Bible verses about hope and how it applies to our lives.
Why is Hope Hard?
There are many reasons why hope doesn’t come easily. The first reason is that hoping in God doesn’t come naturally to broken people in today’s world. We have to be constantly reminded that we have a greater purpose or else we’ll give in to the dissatisfaction that’s so easy to find.
We also find hope hard because it requires faith. However, when you have Biblical hope, it doesn’t exclude good things for the future. Instead, it expects those good things will happen. Although we know that not all of our desires are going to come true, we know that our ultimate hope is going to come through for us.
Finally, hope is hard for us to practice since we don’t always understand it. The distinctive meaning of hope in the Bible is much different than the way that we use it. Like mentioned, hope is a certainty, not doubt, those good things will occur. Biblical hope is a confident expectation and a desire for something good in the future.
Connecting Faith, Hope, and Love
The reason why hope is linked to faith and love so many times in the Bible is that they are connected to each other. Hope is rooted in the faithfulness of God and his love for us. We’re told in the Bible that we have a full assurance of faith instead of saying that we have a full assurance of hope or love. This is because our faith and love may waiver, but our hope is designed to be steady.
Keeping hope in hard times doesn’t come easily though. We know that there have been times when we’ve struggled to have hope. This could be due to a personal loss, career changes, or simply understanding the state of the world today. However, we are reminded time and time again that God is a God of hope and that we are encouraged daily through the Bible scriptures.
What Do We Hope For?
Understanding what hope is requires that you understand more specifically what we hope to achieve or experience. As Christians, we hope that we have eternal life. This is our primary hope. We also hope that we will be like Christ. That over time, we will become more like our God as we grow.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Psalm 42:11
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Psalm 121:7-8
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Romans 5:3-4
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
Lamentations 3:24
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Psalm 33:22
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 25:5
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
Romans 5:5
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answerto everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Ephesians 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
Colossians 1:27
To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Proverbs 24:14
Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Ephesians 1:18
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
Final Thoughts
If you are struggling to understand and believe these principles, you have to go no further than the Bible. It’s not hard to understand hope when you can read it in Scripture verses. When getting started studying hope, start with the Bible. This will let you see the promises of God that help us to maintain our hope even in the most difficult circumstances.
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