7 Verses That Will Change How You See Hard Seasons

Hard seasons are meant to be a place of purpose rather than punishment. Our minds perceive negative situations as only bad. We can’t see the end product or the finish line of a difficult time in life. God, the author of everything, can. He knows and directs all. Scripture can remind us of who God is and can change how we see hard seasons. Here are seven reminders that God intends all aspects of our lives for good.

1. 2 Corinthians 12:9

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

We may feel overwhelmed by weakness in our circumstances, but where our strength ends is where God begins. I know I would rather see where God’s strength can take me instead of my own. Accepting my weakness and trusting in His grace is the safest place to be in a trial.

2. Hebrews 12:11

For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Our human nature rejects pain, but just as exercise produces useful and attractive muscles, so hard times produce useful and attractive character traits.

3. Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

No matter what we are experiencing, we are not alone. God is present when trouble is present. We can be assured that He knows what is going on and that He has a plan.

4. Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Not only will God use His strength to help us, but He will make us stronger. He can enable us to endure situations we never thought possible. He gives His power to us. We might look ahead at a trial and think we would never be able to handle it, but we are evaluating our ability based on our current strength. When the time comes, and we need more power, God will supply it.

5. Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

It is good to remember that our understanding as humans is limited. We may not be seeing our difficulties in the correct light. We can trust our circumstances to our God, whose thoughts, wisdom, and ways are far above ours.

6. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

In some ways, being upset by our trials is a form of pride. We think we know what is best for our lives or that we don’t deserve hardship. When we humble ourselves and remember that God is in control, not us, it frees us from anxiety and worry about solving our perceived problems. We were never meant to carry the burden of keeping our lives perfect. God is caring for us, and therefore, we can give our worries to Him to carry for us.

7. Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Sometimes we don’t know what to do when hard seasons occur. We forget that the first step is to trust the Lord. Our own understanding can’t fix the problem anyway; only God can. We must walk through each stage of our hard season with Christ ever before us. As we do so, the path will straighten, and the decisions will become easier to make. We were meant to follow Him through the rough patches as well as the smooth.

God is not confused or disrupted or weakened by our struggles. His Word is full of the assurance of His wisdom, power, comfort, and sovereignty in all things. When life begins to overwhelm, run to His Word and look at your struggles through His lens.