As the semester comes to a close, there's no doubt that all of our stress levels are high. Long are the sleepless nights of procrastinating papers and drinking coffee by the pot. But for my fellow Christians, your faith will get you through-- and you'll realize in the end that it all paid off. If you remember that God has your back throughout this tough week, it might help ease your anxious mind a bit. So, I wanted to provide you with a few of my favorite Bible verses that I think are appropriate for us to keep in mind during finals week.
1. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11
One of my all-time favorite Bible verses, so I had to start off with it. This one tells you that you don't need to worry so much about whether or not it's the end of the world if you don't get the best grade on that exam, because no matter what, God already knows that there is a bright future ahead of you!
2. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 1:28
I love this one and also think it's really fitting because God is essentially telling us that He knows how hard we work and how much we struggle with it sometimes, and therefore wants to give us refuge, which we can find by having faith in Him.
3. "For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." -Genesis 28:15
God has promised to get you through things like this, so you know He will be by your side the entire time.
4. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." -Psalm 46:1
He will always be there to guide you, even if you feel like there is no possible solution to overcome the stress you might be feeling.
5. "For He inclined His ear to me, and in my days I shall call upon Him." -Psalm 114:2
This reminds us that God is always listening, so He is always around to be there for us in times of need.
6. "All things are evident to those who understand, and true to those who find knowledge." -Proverbs 8:9
If we find knowledge and understanding in God, things suddenly tend to become clearer, and we will be able to focus on our studies more easily since we've found peace of mind.
7. "Be strong, therefore. If you endure, then your fruit shall be in good things." -Job 22:21
God assures us here that if we remain rooted in our self-confidence and our faith, we will definitely see positive results and all of our hard work will pay off.
8. "God is our refuge and power; a help in afflictions that severely befall us." -Psalm 45:2
Reminder that God is our rock; He is always there for us to turn to when there is seemingly no way of getting through even the most stressful times.
9. "We will say many things and not reach the end, but the sum of our words is seen in this: 'He is the all.'" -Wisdom of Sirach 43:27
What it comes down to point blank, is that no matter what we might experience or have to say, God is in everything and will see it all through.
10. “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” -Philippians 4:13
Saved the best for last, because this is also my favorite Bible verse, and the one that I think is likely most appropriate for the situation. As long as we believe in God's capacity to strengthen us, our faith will allow us to pull through anything, no matter how stressful it can be.
I hope these Bible verses potentially helped you out a little bit with any overwhelming feelings that finals may be causing you! And I wish you the best on all your exams/papers. Good luck, friends, we've got this-- and remember that God is always with you!
