Bible Verses about
Encouragement from God
Often when we are looking for Bible verses on encouragement, we are looking for someone to tell us that everything is going to be okay. Or we want to hear, “Hang in there!” Or we want a hug.
God’s encouragement gives you so much more. He’s not just going to give you a hug and tell you to hang in there. His encouragement always has a goal. There are things He wants for your life that are the very best. When He cheers you on, it is toward you developing the character qualities that will make you strong and available to do good in the world.
God is also a comforter, and there are times when we need comfort.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (Second Corinthians 1:3-4).
The Greek root word for ‘comfort’ in this verse is the same as for the word ‘encourage.’
Because He created you and knows how you tick, He is better able to give you the comfort and encouragement you really need. He is the God of all comfort. But He doesn’t stop there. He has a goal for the comfort He is giving you. Did you see it? Go back and reread the verse again before I tell you. I’ll wait . . ..
God’s comfort is going to flow through us to others, as we pass on the comfort He gives us.
Both of our daughters-in-law suffered through several miscarriages. It was a dark and lonely time of grief. They fled to the Bible and searched for comfort in its pages. God answered and comforted them in a way that I could not do because I had never experienced a miscarriage.
Because they allowed God to work in their lives in this way – and trusted in God’s goodness – now years later, they have become great comforters to other young women who can’t have children or who go through miscarriages. I am so humbled and blessed to see God using them in this way.
Which brings me to Reading the Bible to Discover Bible Verses About
Encouragement from God
The best place to go for encouragement is to the Bible. Some people search for tidbits to encourage on the spot, and certainly that can help. The verses I am giving you can do that.
Regular reading of your Bible, in some supernatural way, can refresh and restore and encourage you like nothing else you put into your head and heart. Reading the Bible daily can do for your heart and mind what regular, nutritious food does for your body each day.
Most people don’t believe this, and they look for their encouragement, comfort, and relief from movies, social media, computer games, alcohol, drugs, or a social whirl. These are, however, only distractions and will not bring you comfort, peace, hope or encouragement.
God, however, gives us a hunger for hope and unity and love, which only He can supply.
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:4-6).
When God encourages you, He gives you hope. This isn’t “Oh, I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow” hope. It’s an absolute guarantee that your future is safe and secure if you have welded yourself to Jesus Christ and want to love and please Him.
God’s encouragement also gives you a human family that are unified in their love for God and their desire to praise Him together. When you are meeting regularly with such a group of believers, the encouragement to continue in your faith will, well . . . continue.
So, if you have a whole local church full of believers who are full of the Holy Spirit, you have a whole church full of encouragers. And you are one of them!
How does that happen?
The Holy Spirit is our Inner Encourager
Jesus told his disciples: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).
The word ‘Helper’ could be better translated ‘Encourager,’ as it comes from the same Greek word as ‘encourage.’ The Holy Spirit is Himself God. Since Jesus is no longer with us on earth, the Holy Spirit is the one who now comes alongside and advocates. He handles your case, and that guarantees that you will win if you belong to Him. He lives in every believer, always available to help and encourage.
How does the Holy Spirit encourage us?
- “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,
- whom the Father will send in my name,
- He will teach you all things,
- and bring to your remembrance
- all that I said to you” (John 14:26).
If you read the book of Acts, you can see that happening in the lives of the disciples. Even though Jesus was no longer with them, they became fiery preachers and evangelists. They were even able to withstand physical trials and persecution with grace and dignity. The Holy Spirit gave them the fortitude to stand and the words to say.
He wants to do this for you. So, get out your Bible. Start reading. And be encouraged!
