20 Strengthening Bible Verses about Life for the Moments of Deep Struggle and Despair
- Tessa Emily Hall Contributing Writer
- Updated Jul 01, 2021
This past year has not been easy for any of us. We never planned for a virus to sneak up on society and force us to put our lives on halt. We never expected we’d have to cancel vacations, weddings, and parties, and instead stock up on hand sanitizer and toilet paper. At some point, you may have wondered, Where is God in all this? If God is so good, why is He allowing such heartache? It is both necessary and healthy to grieve; remaining in the pit of sorrow, however, can deteriorate our health and our walk with God. This is why we must constantly renew our spiritual strength with God’s Word. During times of deep struggle and despair, let us meditate on Bible verses about life, Scriptures that will help us focus on the light of Christ as we walk through the darkness of this world.
Bible Verses about Life to Give You Strength
Let's explore some Bible verses about life that can give you strength for today.
“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” John 1:4-5.
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” John 8:12.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” John 4:13-14.
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” Romans 6:4.
“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God” 1 John 5:4-5.
“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” 1 John 4:4.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’”John 14:6.
“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” Hebrews 13:14.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” Colossians 3:1-4.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20.
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” Romans 8:11.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” Romans 8:38.
“And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die” Revelation 12:11.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1.
“For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” 2 Corinthians 5:4.
“And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us” Romans 8:23.
“‘I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid’” John 14:27.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Bible Verses about Life and Its Difficulties
This might sound silly, but have you ever wondered why we don’t appreciate difficulties? Why is it that humankind desires a trouble-free life? We buy products that promise to make our lives easier and more comfortable in some way. We spend our lives saving up for retirement and go throughout the year looking forward to our one-week summer vacation.
Perhaps this is because we were never wired for this world. Perhaps it’s because we were, in fact, wired to live a perfect life—not in this world, but in the one to come.
This quote by C.S. Lewis sums it up perfectly: “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Until the time comes when we step over the threshold and into eternity, we can expect imperfection. Struggles. Sorrows. Pain. Persecution. After all, if God didn’t shield His own Son from the darkness of this world, then why should we expect anything less for ourselves?
Yet we need to remember that these difficulties are not a reflection of God’s love (or lack thereof) toward us. The sorrows we taste on this earth will never undermine God’s goodness. How do I know this?
Let’s take a look at James 1:17:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
God is the source of everything good and perfect. In Him, darkness is nonexistent (see 1 John 1:5).
So if God isn’t the one who is to blame for life’s miseries, then who is?
John 10:10 tells us that “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Everything good and perfect comes from God, so that must mean that everything evil and destructive comes from the enemy.
Think back to the beginning of time: How did darkness enter the world? That’s right—the serpent. It’s because of him that Eve was tempted to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. And that one act of disobedience invited a curse to fall upon all of mankind and creation. Since then, we have lived in a world run by the enemy, according to 1 John 5:19, Ephesians 2:2, and John 14:30.
This is why God sent His Son—to rescue and redeem His children from being overcome by this curse.
Sure, we still live in a world that is decaying day by day. And yes, evil continues to murk around every corner. But our hope does not lie in this world. Our hope lies in the One who abides within us—the One who has already defeated the grave and overcame the darkness on our behalf.
Jesus reminds us of this truth in John 16:33:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Why Can Christians Have Hope amidst Our Struggles?
Throughout the past year, I’ve often felt pity toward those who don’t know Christ. If their hope is not in Christ, then it must be placed in this ever-changing world. But what happens when an event like COVID occurs and shakes their source of hope?
Those of us who are in Christ, however, are living for a Kingdom that can never be shaken (see Hebrews 12:28). This hope is “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19) and renews our strength (see Isaiah 40:31). There is no power in this world that has the power to snag us from our firm foundation in Him.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were presented with the threat of being thrown into the fiery pit, what was their reaction? Did they cry out to God and hold bitterness toward Him for failing to rescue them from this fate? Quite the opposite. In fact, when Nebuchadnezzar gave this threat, these three servants of God said that even if God did not deliver them from the fire, they would still serve Him regardless (see Daniel 3:16-18).
Did God deliver them from the fire? Not exactly. Instead, He chose to walk through the flames with them. God didn’t allow the flames to destroy them, either, because they were able to walk out completely unharmed by the flames—so much that they didn’t even carry a trace of the smoke on their robes! (See Daniel 3:27).
That is why we serve a good God: Not because He shields us from the sorrows of this world, but because He carries us through them. Jesus chose to face the harsh realities of this world for the sake of redeeming us from this curse, and it is now because of this sacrifice that we have access to God by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Through the Holy Spirit, we have life, joy, peace, and light abiding within us even while we face suffering—and it is through His Spirit that we find the strength to face this world. Not only that, but those of us who are in Christ have the hope of spending a trouble-free life with Him in eternity (see Revelation 21:4). That alone is a reason to rejoice!
Prayer for Christians Struggling in Life Right Now
“Father, thank you for sending Jesus to die for us—not just to grant us eternal life when we die, but to grant it to us while we are still on earth as well. This eternal life abides within us, and through Jesus, we are more than conquerors. Through Jesus, we will never be defeated by darkness. Even still, there are times when we feel like this world is too much to handle. Prompt us to do as the psalmists did during those times and lift our eyes toward you, allowing Scripture to inspire our soul. Empower us with your presence so that we can know that we are not alone in our suffering. We do not have within ourselves the strength to face this life, so help us to root ourselves in your Word. Thank you that the privilege of knowing you surpasses every struggle, and the hope of spending eternity with you enables us to persevere. We seek to serve you and you alone. It is in your name that we pray. Amen.”
Further Reading
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