7 Amazing Stories of Hope in the Bible

Have you ever felt worried or scared about something? Maybe you thought things would never get better. That's when you need hope! Hope is like a little light that shines in the dark. It's the feeling that good things can happen, even when everything seems bad.

Let me share seven examples of people who had hope in the bible. Each one shows us that God loves to help people who trust Him, no matter how hard things get.

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Quick Summary: 7 Stories of Hope in the Bible

Here's a quick overview of all seven stories in one place:

1: The Woman Who Washed Jesus' Feet

One day, Jesus was eating dinner at someone's house. A woman came in carrying a special jar of perfume. This woman had made lots of bad choices in her life, and everyone in town knew it. People whispered about her and didn't want to be her friend.

But this woman believed Jesus could help her. She was so sorry for the things she'd done wrong that she started crying. Her tears fell on Jesus' feet! She wiped His feet with her hair and poured the expensive perfume on them.

The religious people at the dinner got upset. "Why is Jesus letting this bad woman touch Him?" they wondered.

But Jesus surprised everyone. He told the woman, "Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

What this teaches us: No matter what you've done wrong, Jesus is ready to forgive you. Nobody is too bad for God to love. If you're sorry and ask for help, Jesus will give you a fresh start. Read more about forgiveness stories in the Bible to learn how powerful saying sorry can be!

You can read this story in Luke 7:36-50.

2: The Prayer Contest

Jesus told a story about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee (a religious teacher), and the other was a tax collector (someone most people didn't like).

The Pharisee stood up tall and prayed loudly. "God, I'm so glad I'm not bad like other people! I'm not greedy or mean. I give money to the temple and I fast twice a week. I'm way better than that tax collector over there!"

Meanwhile, the tax collector stood far away. He felt terrible about the wrong things he had done. He couldn't even look up at the sky. He just whispered, "God, please have mercy on me. I'm a sinner."

Which prayer do you think God liked better?

Jesus said the tax collector went home right with God, but the Pharisee didn't! Why? Because the tax collector was honest about needing help, while the Pharisee was just bragging.

What this teaches us: God doesn't care if you know all the right words or do everything perfectly. He cares about your heart. When you honestly tell God you need Him, He listens and helps you. Being humble is way better than showing off.

Find this story in Luke 18:9-14.

3: The Short Man in the Tree

Zacchaeus had a problem. Actually, he had several problems!

First, he was really short. Second, he was a tax collector who cheated people and took their money. Nobody liked him. Third, he really wanted to see Jesus, but a huge crowd was blocking his view.

So what did Zacchaeus do? He climbed a tree! Picture a grown man scrambling up a sycamore tree just to get a peek at Jesus walking by. It probably looked pretty funny!

When Jesus walked under that tree, He stopped and looked up. "Zacchaeus!" Jesus called. "Come down right now. I'm coming to your house today!"

Zacchaeus was so happy and surprised! He scrambled down and took Jesus home. That day, Zacchaeus' whole life changed. He told Jesus, "I'm going to give half of everything I own to poor people. And if I cheated anyone, I'll pay them back four times as much!"

What this teaches us: When you really want to know Jesus, nothing can stop you. Not being too short, not what other people think, not even sitting in a tree! And when you meet Jesus, He changes your heart. You start wanting to do good things and fix your mistakes. You can read more about Zacchaeus and download coloring pages too!

Read about Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

4: The Man Who Wouldn't Forgive

Jesus told a story about a servant who owed his king a huge amount of money. We're talking millions and millions of dollars! There was no way the servant could ever pay it back.

The king said, "Throw him in jail until he pays everything!"

The servant fell on his knees and begged. "Please be patient with me! I'll pay back everything, I promise!" The servant knew he couldn't really pay it back, but he was desperate.

The king felt sorry for him. "Okay, you're free to go. I forgive the whole debt. You don't owe me anything anymore!"

The servant was so happy! But then something terrible happened. He found another servant who owed him a tiny bit of money (like maybe twenty dollars). He grabbed the man by the throat and shouted, "Pay me back right now!"

The other servant begged, "Please be patient! I'll pay you back!" Those were the exact same words the first servant had used!

But the first servant refused to forgive him. He had the man thrown in jail.

When the king heard about this, he was furious. "I forgave your enormous debt, and you couldn't forgive a tiny one? You're going to jail!" And that's exactly what happened.

What this teaches us: God forgives us for so many things. When we refuse to forgive others, it's like we're being that mean servant. If God can forgive you, you can forgive others too. Learn more about how to forgive like Jesus in these powerful stories.

Jesus told this story in Matthew 18:21-35.

5: The Brave Queen Who Saved Her People

Esther was a Jewish girl who became a queen! But being queen didn't make her life easy. In fact, she had to make one of the scariest choices anyone could make.

A mean man named Haman tricked the king into making a law that would kill all the Jewish people. Esther was Jewish, but the king didn't know it yet. If she stayed quiet, she might be safe. But all her people would die.

Esther's cousin Mordecai told her, "Maybe God made you queen for exactly this moment. You have to help!"

There was just one problem. If anyone went to the king without being invited, they could be killed. Even the queen!

Esther made a brave choice. She said, "I will go to the king, even though it's against the law. And if I die, I die."

Esther went to the king. He was happy to see her and asked what she wanted. Through her courage and wisdom, Esther saved all her people! The evil Haman was punished, and the Jewish people were rescued.

What this teaches us: Sometimes doing the right thing is scary. But God can use you to help others, even when you're afraid. When you trust God and do what's right, amazing things can happen. Read Esther's full story to learn more about her courage!

Esther's story is in the Book of Esther.

6: The Blind Man Who Wouldn't Be Quiet

Bartimaeus sat by the road every day begging for money. He couldn't see anything because he was blind. Life was really hard for him.

One day, Bartimaeus heard a big crowd coming. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Jesus of Nazareth is walking by!" someone told him.

Bartimaeus got so excited! He'd heard stories about Jesus healing people. This was his chance! He started shouting as loud as he could: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

People around him got annoyed. "Be quiet!" they told him. "Stop making so much noise!"

But Bartimaeus shouted even louder! "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped walking. "Bring him to me," He said.

People ran to Bartimaeus. "Cheer up! Get up! Jesus is calling you!" Bartimaeus jumped up so fast he threw off his coat and ran to Jesus.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.

"I want to see!" Bartimaeus said.

Jesus smiled. "Go. Your faith has healed you." Right away, Bartimaeus could see! And you know what he did? He followed Jesus down the road.

What this teaches us: Don't let anyone stop you from calling out to Jesus. Even when people tell you to be quiet or give up, keep praying and asking God for help. He hears you and cares about you. Discover more amazing healing stories about Jesus!

Read about Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52.

7: The Good News Spreads Everywhere

After Jesus went back to heaven, His followers had a big job to do. Jesus had told them, "Go and tell everyone in the whole world about me!"

But it wasn't easy. Some people didn't like the message about Jesus. The followers got thrown in jail. They got chased out of towns. Some of them even got hurt or killed for talking about Jesus.

Did they give up? Nope!

Peter kept preaching. Thousands of people believed in Jesus. Paul traveled to different countries, starting churches everywhere he went. Philip told people about Jesus in Africa. Thomas went all the way to India!

Even when things got scary and hard, Jesus' followers kept sharing the good news. They had hope because they knew Jesus was alive and that His message could change lives.

And guess what? That same good news reached you! People kept telling the story of Jesus for over 2,000 years, passing it down from grandparents to parents to kids. Now you know about Jesus too!

What this teaches us: The good news about Jesus is worth sharing, even when it's hard. You can give people hope by telling them about God's love. Every person who knows about Jesus can help someone else learn about Him too. Read about the Day of Pentecost when it all started!

Read about the early church in the Book of Acts.

The Big Lessons About Hope

Each of these seven stories shows us something special about hope:

• Nobody is too bad for God to love (the woman at Jesus' feet)
• Honest prayers are better than fancy ones (the tax collector)
• Meeting Jesus changes everything (Zacchaeus)
• We should forgive because God forgives us (the unforgiving servant)
• Courage comes when we trust God (Queen Esther)
• Keep calling out to Jesus (blind Bartimaeus)
• Share the good news with others (the early church)

Hope means trusting that God can help you, even when things look really bad. Hope means believing God loves you and has good plans for your life. Hope means knowing that with God, there's always a way forward!

Questions Kids Ask About Hope

What does hope mean?

Hope is believing that good things can happen, even when everything seems bad right now. It's trusting that God will help you and that things will get better. Hope is like a light in the darkness that helps you keep going.

Who in the Bible had hope?

Lots of people! Hannah hoped for a baby, Noah hoped God would save him from the flood, and David hoped God would help him beat Goliath. Every time someone trusted God for help, they showed hope!

What Bible verse talks about hope?

One of the best verses is Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him." This means when you trust God, He fills your heart with happiness, peace, and hope!

Can I have hope even when I'm scared?

Yes! Esther was scared but still had hope. Bartimaeus probably felt nervous calling out to Jesus, but he did it anyway. Hope doesn't mean you won't feel scared. It means you trust God even when you're afraid. Check out these stories of courage in the Bible for more encouragement!

How can I share hope with my friends?

You can share hope by being kind, telling friends about Jesus, and reminding people that God loves them. When a friend is sad, you can pray with them. When someone feels worried, you can tell them one of these Bible stories. That's how hope spreads!