Life is hard. Some days it might seem downright impossible. We all need support. We all need encouragement in tough times.
As Christ followers, God has given us some powerful resources to help us put one foot in front of the other during difficult situations. We have families, and we have friends. We have our past experiences with Jesus. And we have the assurance of His Word that we can succeed as we follow Him.
10 Bible Verses to Nurture Resilience
Throughout the Bible, God has given us Scriptures for perseverance. We have His perspective and His encouragement for the trials and troubles we face. As we study His Word, we learn to trust Him, even when things don’t make sense.
The list below offers 10 Bible verses about resilience guiding us toward faithful endurance through trials. These are Scriptures for perseverance, messages from our Creator to equip us for the storms of life.
1. Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7)
Joshua had big shoes to fill as Moses’s successor. He also had the big job of leading God’s people into the promised land. But God challenged him to be “strong and courageous”—not just once, but multiple times (see verses 6,7,9,18). The key was for Joshua to stay grounded in God’s Word. The Lord provides encouragement in tough times through the Scriptures. That was God’s plan for Joshua, and it’s His plan for us today.
2. “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Speaking of plans, we find encouragement in tough times when we remember that God has a plan for everything in life—even our struggles. Jeremiah addressed a people living in exile. While things looked hopeless in the moment, God reminded the Jews that He was in control and that His plans for their future looked nothing like their present. God’s people can be resilient because we know that He reigns and that His plans never fail.
3. I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world. (John 16:33)
As Christians striving to nurture faithful endurance through our trials, we can take comfort in Jesus’s prediction and His promise in this verse. First, Jesus said His followers would suffer because we live in a fallen world. But nothing catches Him by surprise. He’s always known, and He’s prepared to help. Second, He promised that He was strong enough to guide us through every situation. Even in our worst moments, He has already overcome the world. Our pain and struggles won’t last forever because His victory is a done deal.
4. Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:7-9)
For me, this is one of the Bible’s most encouraging Scriptures for perseverance. Paul was a guy who understood human frailty. He had been through the wringer, suffering for his faith at every turn. Every time he tended a wound or reflected on a scar, he remembered that he was a fragile “clay jar.” But he also took courage in the “treasure” he carried and in the power that only God provides. It’s what got him out of bed each morning. God knows the weakness of your clay, but His power can give you the resilience you need to move forward daily.
5. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. (Isaiah 43:2)
I’ve certainly walked through fires and floods. You have, as well. But this verse reminds us that we can find encouragement in tough times because we never experience those struggles alone. In verse 1, God claimed His people as His own. And because they belonged to Him, He would never leave them or forsake them (see Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). We can trust God because He carries us through every storm by the power of His Spirit.
6. Though a righteous person falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin. (Proverbs 24:16)
Life is a series of mountains and valleys. Sometimes, we’re on top of the world. Other times, we’re looking up to see the floor. The wisdom of Proverbs challenges us to develop resilience and to show faithful endurance through trials. The difference between the righteous and wicked is not whether or not they fall. All of us are going to drop the ball and feel out of the game at some point. The important thing is how you respond. People who trust God don’t let their failures define them. They get up and keep moving.
7. Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)
Paul told the believers in Thessalonica to “rejoice always . . . and give thanks in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). James doubled down on that truth by telling his readers that rejoicing even includes “various trials” in life. He wasn’t saying we should be happy about hard circumstances; but he was urging us to find joy and express gratitude that God is using our pain to make us more like Himself. It’s not a fun process, but it’s necessary for our spiritual maturity to demonstrate faithful endurance in trials.
8. Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6:9)
Let’s be honest: resilience can take a toll on us. It’s hard to keep doing the right thing, especially if the weight never gets lifted. But God challenges us to see things through His eyes. Resilience requires patience. Like a farmer has to be patient waiting for the crops to grow, we’ve got to be patient, knowing that God will bring a reward in His perfect timing.
9. Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
While hard times are inevitable in a broken world, Satan remains the author of discouragement. God calls us to keep going, but the devil wants us to quit. Thankfully, God offers us His “full armor.” That protection includes righteousness, peace, faith, and truth (verses 14-16). It also includes spending time in His Word and in prayer (verses 17-18). We can develop faithful endurance in trials by refusing to fight without the weapons He has provided.
10. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)
The Bible’s opening chapters explain how God created the physical world. The rest of the Bible emphasizes that there’s more to life than what we experience with our senses. God has given believers a “future focus,” a confidence that this world is not all there is. And that’s a big deal when it comes to navigating hard times. We can remember, like Paul, that earthly struggles pale in comparison to the glories of eternity. But keeping our eyes on heaven also gives us the strength to persevere on earth.
The Ultimate Example
The world never runs out of options for false gods to serve. It could be wealth or popularity or power. It could be a higher education or a particular relationship. But in the long run, nothing holds a candle to Jesus.
Truth is, Jesus stands apart because Jesus stood where we stand. He became one of us and endured every struggle we endure—just without sin (Hebrews 4:15). That’s why the anonymous writer of Hebrews could challenge us to “run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus. . . . He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
In Him, we can find encouragement for every struggle. We can learn how to embrace faithful endurance in difficult times. He’s given us a book filled with Scriptures for perseverance.
Resilience is not optional for His people. And, by following His example, it’s more than possible. Whether we’re on the mountain or in the valley, we can keep moving forward and moving closer to Him and to being the men He has created us to become.
