Life verses fascinate me—mostly because I can’t choose just one. My “favorite” verse changes from week to week. This week, it’s Proverbs 3:5–6. Last week, it was Philippians 4:13. I’ve given up on choosing a “life” verse. 

But my grandma—my dad’s mom who has been in Heaven for years—had a favorite verse that intrigued me.

Grandma had many endearing qualities. She was one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. She loved people deeply and prayed for them earnestly. She delighted in making others happy. And she could tell her own real life stories in a way that kept me enthralled and begging for more. 

But what sometimes puzzled me was the verse she chose as her favorite:

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

It’s not that the verse itself is unusual. I love it (it’s one of my favorites!)—and I know many others who do, too.

But my grandma was a worrier—a skilled, chronic worrier.

She worried about simple things, like whether we had “used the toilet” before leaving the house. She worried about mundane things, like whether whoever was driving her used the blinker or if one of us had taken full advantage of a grocery sale. And she worried about larger things—like the safety of her grandchildren in the daily routines of life.

As a young teenager, I sometimes wondered why my grandma, who so often didn’t seem to experience “perfect peace,” chose Isaiah 26:3 as her favorite. How could she choose a verse that she so obviously didn’t experience? 

Well, that’s how I thought of it back then. But I’m more experienced myself now, and I think I understand. Grandma loved that verse because she needed it—not because she perfectly lived it.

I can relate. If you were to look through my journal, you’d find many verses I love, but don’t fully live as I wish. It’s not that I just like the phrasing or familiarity or word choice. I love them because I need them. But in the routines of daily life, there’s a growth curve to actually live them.

Think about it: if the only promises of Scripture we could claim were the ones we already lived, we wouldn’t need any of them—would we?

Perhaps you can relate, too. 

• Maybe your favorite verse is about joy—but you battle discouragement.
• Maybe it’s about courage—but you wrestle with fear.
• Maybe it’s about God’s nearness—but you often feel alone.

If so, you’re not a fraud. You’re not failing. You’re human.

You’re doing exactly what God invites us to do—reaching for truth in the middle of the struggle.

So what do we do when we believe the truth, but don’t always feel it? How do we grow to live the verses we need?

Here are three thoughts…from three of my favorite verses:

1. Reach for the Scripture you need. 

Don’t wait until you’re “doing better” to turn to God’s Word. When we are weak, weary, struggling, sinning, or failing—that’s when we most need the truths of Scripture.

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)

The key is to let God’s Word pour into your life at the point of need. It’s the very entrance of God’s Word—not our strength—that brings light to our struggle.

Don’t let Satan convince you that reaching for Scripture while struggling makes you a hypocrite. Think of it more like a sick person picking up medicine—or a traveler switching on a flashlight in the dark.

When you need help is exactly when you should reach for God’s Word. Let the light pour in.

How? Here are a few suggestions:

• Read full passages of Scripture—not just a verse at a time.
• Play the audio Bible while you get ready for the day, exercise, or engage in other tasks that don’t require concentration.
• Turn to verses that speak to your specific need. (Ask a godly friend for suggestions if you need them.)
• Write out related verses and place them where you’ll see them often.

Keep reaching for the truth to counter temptation, discouragement, and the lies of the enemy. God’s Word brings light—even before it brings feelings.

2. Hope in God’s power to change you.

Spiritual growth is not ultimately about your ability to apply a verse or exert more effort. It’s about God’s ongoing work in you.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

If you are God’s child, His power is already at work in your life. The fact that you still struggle doesn’t mean He has stopped working. It means His work is still in progress. 

• He is conforming you to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).
• He is the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
• He works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Take hope. God is faithful to finish what He has begun.

3. Walk in the direction of truth.

Faith is not just something we believe; it leads to something we do. In other words, faith walks. 

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

One of the best questions you can ask in the middle of your struggle is, “What is one step of faith I can take right now?” 

It doesn’t have to be a huge step. But what is one way you can act on the truth you already know? It might be

• Sitting down and opening your Bible when you don’t feel like reading.
• Taking the next step in obedience, even when you aren’t sure you can take the step after.
• Choosing to forgive someone who hurt you.
• Reaching out to a Christian friend for prayer or counsel.
• Speaking Bible truth out loud when your emotions lie to you.

Truth shapes us as we walk in it—not as we wait to feel it. So take a step of faith today, no matter how small it may be.

Reach, Hope, Walk

The verses we love often reveal the places where we’re still growing. That’s not hypocrisy. That’s discipleship. It’s the beautiful, lifelong process of growing in Christ. 

So reach. Hope. Walk.

God’s Word is true and powerful, working in you as you apply it—one step at a time.