A life without hope is likely a life without joy or a sense of purpose. We encounter many challenges in life, and one of the ways we can overcome them is by looking beyond our present circumstances. If today is dark and gloomy, our memories of a brighter yesterday and our anticipation that another sunny day is just around the corner allow us to press on. Bible verses about hope can help.

When people feel hopeless, when they have nothing to which they can look forward, and no one in whom they can place their hopes. That can sap their energy and stand in the way of their progress.

We all need hope, but it’s good to hope in things that will come to pass. Next to having no hope, shattered hopes can undermine your well-being, as they can lead to anger, resentment, and distress. The Bible has much to say about hope, and the kind of hope it calls for is the kind on which we can stake our lives. Bible verses about hope can help us be resilient even in the most difficult circumstances.

Where do you place your hope?

Hope is a good thing, and it’s a gift when it is used well. Like all good things, hope can be misused or misplaced. You can hope that tomorrow you’ll be in a better mood to go to the gym, but that hope may be misplaced because you might not feel like it when tomorrow rolls around.

You can hope for a promotion, but that may or may not happen. It depends on factors that are both in and some that are completely out of your control. You can do what you can, but as the decision lies in someone else’s hand, it’s a hope to hold onto lightly.

When the Bible speaks about hope, it speaks about it often as something on which you can trust. It’s something that’s in the future but that you can trust will come to pass. Since you can trust that what you hope for will happen, you can live your life now shaped by that hope. Below is one Scripture from the Psalms about hope.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever. – Psalm 146:1-6, ESV

People, as powerful and as rich as they may be, have their limits. These verses remind us of those limits, that your trust in princes will fail because of the reality of death and the failure of their plans.

These verses aren’t calling people to walk around with a radical distrust of others. Rather, they are saying our hopes, trust, and expectations should be tempered, precisely because those in whom we hope may not be able to realize the salvation for which we are hoping.

That is contrasted with God, who is everlasting, powerful, faithful, and true. Because God has been faithful in the past and will fulfill His promises, we can hope in Him and His promises without reservation. His timing might not always line up with ours, but we can trust His wisdom for that too.

Recovering through Bible verses about hope

You may have experienced disappointment from people, through circumstances, and maybe even because of God. Hope is a precious thing, and we need it to live joyful, resilient lives. Perhaps hope is working against you by deferring action and initiative that ought to be taken by you. Maybe you’re struggling to hope, or you’re working through hurt, anger, and resentment.

You can talk to someone to unpack and work through those powerful emotions. A counselor can help you parse what’s happening and walk with you as you restore hope and leverage it well. Reach out and speak with someone today.