That is the thread running through these verses. Some speak of God as a refuge and a rock. Others speak of strength given precisely in weakness. The last group speaks of endurance, and of what hardship produces in a person who holds on.
Each verse is quoted word for word from the King James Version and links into its chapter, so you can read the whole passage rather than the single line.
The Lord is your strength
Isaiah 40:31KJV
31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Waiting on the Lord is presented as the source of renewed strength, with the image of mounting up with wings as eagles. It is a verse for the exhausted.
Read Isaiah 40 in fullPsalm 46:1-3KJV
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
God is described as a very present help in trouble — present, not distant. The verses that follow imagine the earth itself giving way, and the conclusion still holds.
Read Psalms 46 in fullPsalm 18:2KJV
2The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
A stack of images for one truth: rock, fortress, deliverer, strength, buckler, horn and high tower. David piles them up because one word was not enough.
Read Psalms 18 in fullNahum 1:7KJV
7The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
From a minor prophet, a line of great comfort: the Lord is a strong hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Read Nahum 1 in fullStrength when you are weak
2 Corinthians 12:9-10KJV
9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
God answers Paul’s prayer for relief not by removing the hardship but by promising grace sufficient for it. Strength is made perfect in weakness.
Read 2 Corinthians 12 in fullPhilippians 4:13KJV
13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. In context, Paul is talking about contentment in every circumstance, not unlimited achievement.
Read Philippians 4 in full2 Timothy 1:7KJV
7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Fear is named as something foreign to what God gives.
Read 2 Timothy 1 in fullIsaiah 43:2KJV
2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
The promise is not that you will avoid the waters and the fire, but that you will pass through them, and that God will be with you in them.
Read Isaiah 43 in fullEnduring hardship with hope
Romans 5:3-5KJV
3And not only so , but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Paul traces a chain from tribulation to patience to experience to hope. Hardship is not wasted; it produces something that could not be produced otherwise.
Read Romans 5 in fullJames 1:2-4KJV
2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this , that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations — not because the trial is pleasant, but because patience is being worked into you.
Read James 1 in fullPsalm 34:17-18KJV
17The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
The righteous cry and the Lord hears. The second verse is the tender one: He is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.
Read Psalms 34 in fullDeuteronomy 31:8KJV
8And the LORD , he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
The Lord goeth before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee. Three promises for anyone facing something they cannot see their way through.
Read Deuteronomy 31 in fullFrequently asked questions
What is the best Bible verse for strength in hard times?
Isaiah 40:31 is the verse most often turned to, because it ties renewed strength to waiting on the Lord. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is its counterpart, promising grace that is sufficient in weakness rather than the removal of the hardship.
Does God promise to remove hard times?
No. Isaiah 43:2 is explicit that the waters and the fire come, and the promise is God’s presence while passing through them. Romans 5:3-5 goes further and says hardship produces patience, experience and hope.
What does the Bible say about being weak?
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is the central passage: strength is made perfect in weakness, and Paul goes as far as to glory in his infirmities. 2 Timothy 1:7 adds that God gives a spirit of power, love and a sound mind rather than fear.
Which verses help with grief and a broken heart?
Psalm 34:17-18 says the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and Psalm 46:1-3 describes Him as a very present help in trouble. Deuteronomy 31:8 promises that He will go before you and will not fail you.