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10 Encouraging Scriptures For Difficult Times



After leaving 2018 I was convinced that 2019 would be so much better, although 2019 has barely begun we have already been facing some sad news in my family. We are a very religious family and we cling to Jesus not only in difficult times, but all of the time. Here are some scriptures that I use to encourage me during difficult times;

1. Psalms 91;

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. 6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. 8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

This is a personal favourite because it shows that God will never leave us. This scripture is full of God’s promises of protection for all of His children. He is our safe place, He is our refuge and only He alone can help us through tough times. Verses 9-13 give us the assurance that we need to know that if God is for us, then nobody and nothing can harm us. Having this assurance is comforting for with Him on our side we are able to do absolutely anything. Verse 7 also shows God is not going to let anything happen to us, no evil will harm us. I really love this scripture and it is always one that I return to constantly for comfort.

2. “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:2.

A short, but powerful verse in itself. God again promises that whatever we face He will always be right there by our side. We will never face any adversity in this life alone because He will always be holding our hands. Being thrown into a river can potentially drown us depending on various circumstances (whether we can swim, the depth, etc), walking through a fire as you know can also put us in grave danger and cause us great harm, but God states in His word that none of these dangerous things will harm us. Very powerful.

3. “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” - Philippians 4:13.

A reminder that we serve a great, big and powerful God who has an abundance of strength. His belief in His children is amazing because He knows that we are all capable of such amazing things. He believes in us and this verse reminds us that through Christ we too have an abundance of strength therefore we can do anything we set our minds to do. He has already given us all of the strength and the tools that we require.

4. “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9.

5. “She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.” – Proverbs 31:25.

6.“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7.

These above verses go hand in hand for me because God has not given us the spirit of fear or timidity, He has given us a spirit of boldness and courage. We are not called to be afraid or discouraged although as humans we may have the tendency to feel fearful at times. God has already told us that fear is not from Him. He does not give His children the spirit of fear. It can be difficult facing an uncertain future, but rest assured that God already has our future planned out. So do not fear what tomorrow holds, do not fear anything – allow God to unravel our futures before our eyes and trust Him. He knows what is best for us.

7. “For I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11.

As previously stated, God knows the plans He has for us. His plans are not to harm us, but to bring us to a brighter and better tomorrow. Everything that is going to happen has already been written by God, He knows everything. We should do our best to continue to seek God wholeheartedly because when we look for Him, we will surely find Him.

8. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” – James 1: 2-4.

One of my favourite scriptures because in my late teens, I struggled with the concept of joy. I lost my joy and had no idea where to find it. It was later on when I came back to Christ properly that I realised that my joy comes from Christ and from within, I do not have to look for my joy in anyone or anything other than God and myself.

Putting that aside, I now understand that my faith will be tested, but once I overcome the challenges it will help me to become stronger, as I grow through these challenges – my faith will grow too. I try not to ask myself, “why me?!” anymore, but rather, “what can I learn from this situation?”

Tests and trials happen to everyone, nobody is free from these tests in life. In order to grow you cannot expect to go through life without any adversity. Put on the armour of God and face your fears, face your challenges equipped with the word of God. God has called you to be fearless and brave, remember? So, be that!

9. “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” – Psalms 23:4

This is another example of God’s many promises to His children. Throughout the bible God promises us many things, but His promises remain consistent. When we acknowledge who God is and who He is to us we are aware that walking with Him brings us to a different place completely. We know that even if hundreds are against us, He will always be for us. We know that even if we are walking through the deepest, darkest valley alone physically, we are never alone, because He is right beside us.

10. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace. Which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” – Philippians 4:6-7.

This may seem easier said than done like a lot of the verses, but the key thing here is not to worry about anything. We are not worriers, we are warriors! Submit all of your prayers and requests to the Lord and believe that they are already done.

I hope that this has been helpful. Be encouraged Mamas!

With Love,

Roxanne-Sasha x

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