50 Bible Verses For Encouragement And Strength - Old Testament Scripture

Here are 50 Old Testament verses from the NKJV that offer encouragement and strength, categorized by theme for ease of reference.

Trusting in God's Strength & Refuge

1. Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

2. Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

3. Exodus 15:2 - "The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him."

4. 2 Samuel 22:33 - "God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect."

5. Psalm 18:32 - "It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect."

6. Psalm 28:7 - "The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him."

7. Psalm 118:14 - "The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation."

8. Isaiah 12:2 - "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’"

9. Habakkuk 3:19 - "The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills."

God's Presence & Help

1. Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."

2. Joshua 1:9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

3. Psalm 23:4 - "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

4. Psalm 34:17-18 - "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."

5. Psalm 145:18 - "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

6. Isaiah 43:2 - "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

Hope & Renewal

1. Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

2. Psalm 27:13-14 - "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

3. Psalm 30:5 - "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

4. Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

5. Lamentations 3:22-23 - "Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

6. Psalm 126:5 - "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy."

Courage & Not Fearing

1. Psalm 27:1 - "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

2. Psalm 56:3-4 - "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?"

3. Psalm 112:7 - "He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

4. Isaiah 35:4 - "Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.'"

5. Isaiah 54:4 - "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame..."

God's Faithfulness & Deliverance

1. Psalm 32:7 - "You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance."

2. Psalm 34:4 - "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."

3. Psalm 37:23-24 - "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand."

4. Psalm 55:22 - "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

5. Psalm 91:14-15 - "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him."

6. Psalm 121:1-2 - "I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."

7. Proverbs 18:10 - "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

8. Nahum 1:7 - "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him."

Inner Strength & Peace

1. Psalm 29:11 - "The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace."

2. Psalm 62:5-6 - "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved."

3. Psalm 73:26 - "My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

4. Psalm 119:28 - "My soul melts from heaviness; strengthen me according to Your word."

5. Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

6. Isaiah 26:3 - "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

7. Nehemiah 8:10 - "...Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

God's Power & Provision

1. Genesis 18:14 - "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

2. Psalm 37:5 - "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."

3. Psalm 138:3 - "In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul."

4. Isaiah 40:29 - "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength."

5. Isaiah 58:11 - "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

6. Jeremiah 32:17 - "Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You."

7. Joel 3:10 - "...Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’"

Assurance & Comfort

1. Psalm 16:8 - "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."

2. Psalm 138:8 - "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands."

May these verses from God's eternal Word be a source of profound comfort, strength, and steadfast hope for your spirit.