Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – When we let ourselves be drawn into what we should not do, it kills the good things in life, including joy. Repenting and seeking God’s forgiveness removes the brokenness and brings joy from God.
There are times we need a word of hope for ourselves, and times when God uses us to bring hope to others. These ten Bible verses are very helpful when you counsel or comfort a fellow believer struggling with discouragement or depression. Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB).
What Is the Essential Foundation for Christian Counseling About Despair?
The first thing to establish before counseling someone with God’s Word is whether that person is saved. This matters for two main reasons:
First, many people who call themselves Christians cannot even explain what Scripture teaches about salvation. If they cannot describe their own experience of coming to salvation, they may not yet be saved. As a result, they do not know they are children of God through faith in Christ, with the assurance that He loves them and supplies all their needs through the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in them to give victory (Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:12–14; 1 John 2:12–17; 1 John 4:4; 1 Corinthians 2:1–5).
Second, if a person is saved, God gives them the ability to understand His teaching through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit living in them (1 Corinthians 2:6–16). Those not yet saved do not have this ability. They may understand superficially, but to be effective they need to understand the spiritual dimensions of despair. So the essential foundation for Christian counseling is that the person knows Christ as their Savior and His impact on their life (John 10:10). Knowing this, they can understand that God has the power to influence their thinking (1 Samuel 16:14–23; Romans 1:28; Philippians 4:4–9; 2 Timothy 1:7).
10 Bible Verses About Hope
1. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. When tempted, no one should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:12–16)
2. “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:8–12)
3. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life. And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write these things so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John 1:1–4)
4. “Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows. For when we arrived in Macedonia, our body had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort you gave him. He told us about your longing, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more.” (2 Corinthians 7:4–7)
5. “I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:15–17)
6. “Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him. Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can play the harp. Whenever the distressing spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better.” So Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.” … Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would find relief and feel better, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.” (1 Samuel 16:14–17, 22–23)
7. “Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence. They rejoice in Your name all day long, and they are exalted by Your righteousness. For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted.” (Psalm 89:15–17)
8. “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His—His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.” (Psalm 100:1–5)
9. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18–20)
10. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:4–9)
Conclusion
One of the most wonderful things God wants believers to do is help one another when someone falls into despair. So we should know some verses and passages of Scripture to counsel fellow believers. These are just ten of the many verses that bring comfort and hope to those who receive them as we help them with the love of Christ. If someone’s despair is deep or long-lasting, encourage them also to seek professional help.
Bringing Hope to Others
Christian hope is not vague optimism that everything will turn out fine. It is confidence based on God’s promises and the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Because He is faithful, our hope has a firm foundation.
When helping someone, listen before quoting Scripture. A verse shared at the right time, with love, can become an anchor of hope for that person for years.
You may also like: 10 Bible Verses About Hope and 6 Steps Out of Disappointment.
Prayer
Lord, fill us with hope in You, and use us to comfort those who are weary. Let Your Word come alive in the heart of everyone who reads this today. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Article: Thoa Trần
Adapted from: WhatChristiansWantToKnow.com
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