The Best Bible Verses for Graduates

Here are some of the most powerful Bible verses that graduates can read to prepare them for life and inspire them by His promises.

Lean on Him

“Set your heart on the right path” (Proverbs 23:19).

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him give Him glory, and he will make straight your paths.”

It’s safer to trust in God and in His Word than to lean on your own understanding. God’s wisdom goes far, far deeper, but just keep acknowledging Him so that He is most glorified. Giving back thanks to God and telling others, “I couldn’t have done it without God,” puts the praise where it should be; on Him (Psalm 115:1).

Your Future in Him

Proverbs 23:18-19 “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.”

Notice Jesus didn’t say in John 14:6 that He is a way, and a truth and a life, but the way, the truth, the life. That alone should give you hope in the future, for whatever happens, will ultimately work out for your good and His glory (Rom 8:28). Just keep walking in His “way.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose the path of obeying God at all cost!

The Presence of Him

Heb 13:5 “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

If we read the original Greek, it would be something like this. “Never, never will I, ever, never will leave you or forsake you.” It’s very comforting indeed to know that even when we forsake Him for a time, He is always present and a present help in times of need (Psalm 46:1), but will never, ever forsake or leave us. The rood word for content means “with satisfaction” or “satisfied with what you have.” Money and people can forsake you; God never will!

Enduring in Him

Isaiah 40:30-31 “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for 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.”

Will you be patient and wait on God, or be impatient and act on your own will?

In a Hurry? Get ready to stumble. If you “wait for the Lord,” that means you’re in a resting period; your resting in Him and His timing. This brings joy and we know that “the joy of the Lord, is your strength” [Neh 8:10]. I find it interesting that eagles use rising air currents to soar high up into the skies, some reaching a height of between 10,000 and 20,000 feet (almost 4 miles up). When eagles encounter a storm, they fearlessly fly into the fierce winds, using the storm current to quickly rise above the storm. The pressure of the storm is used to help them glide without using their own energy. Their wings’ unique design allows them to be locked into a fixed position amid the violent storm winds, thereby largely remaining unharmed.

His Words

Psalms 119:105 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!”

Sin can keep us out of Bible; but the Bible can keep us out of sin and sin’s power. A perfect example is from Isaiah 55:11 which says, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” There is the very power of God in His Word (Rom 1:18; 1 Cor 1:18; Heb 4:12).

His Workmanship

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Philippians 1:6 gives us comfort knowing that God’s going to help us bear fruit to do good works, and that His workmanship on us will help us. Paul was “sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” I’m glad I’m not supposed to complete the work in me because I need a lot of help, but I also need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in His work in me.

You Work for Christ

Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”

Whatever job you are called to in life, God has called you to work for Him. Whatever we do, we are really supposed to give it all our might (Eccl 9:10). Why? Because God’s Word tells us, ultimately, we work for Him and should work to please Him, even when no one else is looking (Col 3:17).

Your Security in Him

… rely on God to take your hand and lead you through whatever may make you fearful of the future.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Points to ponder; God knows the things that are planned for us; we frequently don’t. God plans are for our good or our best, which points to a secure hope in the future because we have trusted in Jesus Christ (Rev 21:1-5). Trust God, no matter what things look like, because God make all things, good or bad, work out for our very best in the end (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28).

Conclusion

What is more fitting than to add Paul’s sage advice in Philippians 3:13-14, writing, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” You will make mistakes (like all of us) but keep pressing forward toward the great prize, the greatest of all, having trusted in Jesus Christ and receiving eternal life. If you have not done so yet, then I plead with you to read how it ends outside of faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Rev 20:12-15).

Here is some related reading for you: 15 Christian Graduation Quotes and Sayings

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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