“Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the LORD.”
In plain words: Take heart and be brave, everyone who is trusting God. Your hope in Him is what gives you strength.
What Psalm 31:24 means.
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Hope fuels strength.
Common questions about Psalm 31:24
What does it mean to hope in the Lord?
In the Bible, hope is not wishing and crossing your fingers. It means trusting that God is good and will keep His word, even when you can't see how things will turn out. The Lord is the one true God who made us and cares for us. David wrote this psalm while he was in deep trouble, and he still said he put his life in God's hands (Psalm 31:5). So hoping in the Lord means leaning your whole weight on Him, because He has shown Himself worthy of trust.
Apply it today: Name one worry out loud today and tell God you are trusting Him with it.
Does being courageous mean I shouldn't feel afraid?
Not at all. In this same psalm, David was honest about his fear and sadness (Psalm 31:9-10). Courage doesn't mean you feel nothing. It means you keep going and do what is right while you feel afraid, because you trust that God is with you. The strength doesn't have to come from inside you. It comes from the One you hope in. Isaiah 40:31 says those who hope in the Lord gain new strength. So you can be afraid and brave at the same time.
Apply it today: Take one small brave step today that you have been putting off, and ask God to steady you as you do it.
What if I don't know God well, or I don't feel hopeful?
Hope is open to anyone who wants it. Jesus said that all who are tired and carrying heavy loads can come to Him (Matthew 11:28). You don't have to feel strong first, and you don't need fancy words. Many people begin by simply talking to God honestly, something like, "I'm struggling, and I want to know You." Hope usually grows as we get to know who God is, by reading the Bible and spending time with people who trust Him.
Apply it today: Spend two minutes telling God honestly how you feel today, in your own words.
Ask anything about it.
Every question gets a clear answer in seconds, and a way to live it today.
Live it today.
Remind yourself today what you’re hoping in, and let it make you strong.
Pray it back.
Lord, my hope is in You. Make me strong and fill my heart.
Carry it all day.
Put today’s verse on your lock screen, so every time you pick up your phone, the Word is the first thing you see.
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One verse every morning at 7 a.m. your time. Leave any time.