The world is longing to have hope in their lives. The greatest source of hope is found in the Bible, where we discover that true hope can be found in Christ alone. When we look at Bible Verses about Hope, we must first look at the promise of the Scriptures.

The Foundation for Bible Verses About Hope

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16 (NIV).

What makes this the most sought-after verse in the Bible? Perhaps we fear that Job was right:

My days are swifter than a weavers’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. — Job 7:6 (NIV).

The John 3:16 passage gives people a ray of hope that there is certainly more to life than what Job saw. This longing for hope is why the Jeremiah passage is so important to people:

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. — Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).

We want to know that God has a plan for us, and that there is hope for a hopeless world. What people need to know is what Paul Harvey referred to as “the rest of the story.” John 3:17 offers a glimpse:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. — John 3:17 (NIV)

Hope comes, not as a blanket promise, but under a condition. We must come to Jesus and find salvation through him.

The Jeremiah passage also offers conditions for the hope people seek:

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV)

Hope comes when we find our salvation in Jesus, when we call on him, when we come to him, and pray in his name. When these things happen we will have the hope that we seek. Having established this, we can now add depth and flavor to the hope we have in him by observing other Hope Bible verses.

Other Bible Verses About Hope in the Gospel

Peter began his letters with a blessing to all believers:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. — 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

The book of Romans explains the blessing that Peter offers:

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. — Romans 5:2-5 (NIV).

By reading these two passages together, we gain a clear understanding of hope. Hope begins when we are born again through Jesus Christ. Hope is developed, and strengthened, when we stand in God’s grace.

Our earthly desire is to avoid trials and struggles. Indeed, we tend to measure the quality of our salvation by our lack of problems. Yet, hope not is measured by the lack of trials, but by what we learn about Jesus through them. Suffering produces endurance, and endurance shapes our character. The knowledge that Jesus has successfully led us through trials before, reminds us that he will do it again. This confidence in God’s provision is the kind of hope which does not lead to disappointment.

This understanding helps 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 make even more sense:

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.

More Bible Verses About Hope

Romans 8:24-25 (NIV)
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 12:12 (NIV)
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 15:4 (NIV)
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:13 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Hebrews 11:1 (The Voice)
Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.

Titus 1:1-2 (NIV)
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.

Proverbs 24:14 (NIV)
Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Psalm 10:17 (NLT)
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

Warnings for Believers through Bible Verses About Hope

As we study these verses, it is essential that we keep Christ as the source of our hope. It is so easy to shift our focus onto other things. With that thought come these warnings:

Ephesians 2:12 (NIV)
Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

1 Timothy 6:17 (The Voice)
Here’s what you say to those wealthy in regard to this age: “Don’t become high and mighty or place all your hope on a gamble for riches; instead, fix your hope on God, the One who richly provides everything for our enjoyment.”

Final Verse

Perhaps Proverbs 24:14 is a fitting conclusion to a lesson about hope:

“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.” (NIV)

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading our Bible verses about hope, FaithGateway offers the following book or further reading about the hope the can be found only in God’s Word, I recommend the book Hopelifter: Creative Ways to Spread Hope When Life Hurts by Kathe Wunnenberg. She writes in her book’s introduction:

The first time hope is mentioned in the Bible is by Naomi. She says to her daughters-in-law that there was no hope of her having more sons. I can only imagine the deep sorrow Naomi must have felt. She lost her husband, her two married sons, and her hope for future family. To her surprise her daughter-in-law Ruth chose to leave her family, worship Naomi’s God, and follow Naomi to her homeland. What a precious gift of presence and personal sacrifice Ruth gave to Naomi.

Think of a time in your past when a circumstance seemed hopeless. Then think of how God finally revealed His hope to you or through someone. Ruth and Naomi’s story reminds us to trust God and know His hope even when circumstances seem hopeless.

While our story may appear hopeless now, often later on we can look back on history (His Story!) and discover God’s plan at work in our lives during that time. Hope is not wishful thinking, but trusting God Himself and what He has promised.

Hopelifter is a wonderful resource for spreading hope to others. Kathe’s motto is that if you know hope, you can show hope. She offers “recipes cards” for how Christians can show the hope and love of Christ to others when the people around them are enduring suffering and trials. We encourage you to check out our recommended reads if you enjoyed this article.

Your Turn

What are your favorite Bible verses about hope? Are there any of your favorite Scriptures that we missed in this collection? As Kathe Wunnenberg writes, before reaching out, we need to first know the history of hope, what hope is, and the God of hope, to fully understand how to give it.

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