Hello and welcome! I’m so glad you found me from my book Life Can Be Good Again and deeply honored to walk with you with HOPE through pain and loss. Life can dish up a lot of ways to grieve, and while our experiences may be different, we cling to the same God who sees every tear, walks with us in pain, and promises to bind up our broken heart.
These two book Appendix resources—40 Promises of God and The Grace Guide for Hard Seasons—came straight from my own suffering. I collected God’s promises I came across in my daily Bible time because I desperately needed to trade truth for the lies of my circumstances. (And bonus! There are actually 42 promises here for you.)
And the Grace Guide for Hard Seasons? It became a personal and family mantra as we walked through grief. I pray these bless you mightily!
40 Promises of God
God is attentive.
1. Psalm 10:17—You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.
2. 1 John 5:14–15—This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
God is compassionate.
3. Psalm 116:5–6—The Lord is gracious and righteous; ourGod is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.
4. 1 Peter 5:7—Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
God comforts us.
5. John 14:16—And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.
6. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4—Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
God is faithful.
7. Psalm 9:10—Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
8. Isaiah 25:1—Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.
9. 1 Thessalonians 5:24—The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
God brings good fruit from difficulty.
10. John 15:5—I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
11. James 1:2–3—Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
12. Hebrews 12:10–11—God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
13. Galatians 6:9—Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
God is good and does good.
14. Psalm 27:13—I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
15. Psalm 86:5—You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
16. Psalm 119:68—You are good, and what you do is good.
God guides us.
17. Psalm 32:8—I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
18. Proverbs 3:5–6—Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
19. Isaiah 48:17—This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”
God gives us hope.
20. 1 Peter 1:3–4—Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.
21. Jeremiah 29:11—“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.”
God always loves and acts toward us in love.
22. 1 Corinthians 13:8—Love never fails.
23. Psalm 136:26—Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.
God gives us peace.
24. Isaiah 26:3—You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
25. Philippians 4:7—And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
26. Psalm 4:8—In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
God is present with us.
27. Psalm 34:18—The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
28. James 4:8—Come near to God and he will come near to you.
29. Hebrews 13:5—God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
God provides for all our needs.
30. Philippians 4:19—And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
31. 2 Corinthians 9:8—And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
God is a refuge in troubled times.
32. Psalm 9:9—The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
33. Deuteronomy 33:27—The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
God restores joy for us.
34. Psalm 30:5—For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
35. Psalm 126:5–6—Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
36. Psalm 94:19—When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
God is a shield to us.
37. Psalm 84:11—For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
38. Genesis 15:1—“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
God sustains us.
39. Psalm 94:18—When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
40. Psalm 27:5—For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
41. Psalm 3:5—I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
42. Jeremiah 17:7–8—But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Grace Guide for Hard Seasons
1. Wake to new morning mercies.
2. Let grace govern your self-talk.
3. Lean on moment-by-moment grace.
4. Allow grace to reign in your relationships.
5. Count on God’s strength to show up in weakness.
6. Leave the future in God’s hand and do the next thing now.
7. Let yourself off the hook of high expectations.
8. Remember it won’t always feel like this.
9. Rebuild beauty one step at a time.
10. Persist in prayer.
