Encouraging Bible Verses for Job Seekers and Graduates

People nationwide have been concerned about their job search recently, with the nation sluggishly recovering from its economic crisis. As high school and college graduates begin their search for their first “real” job, they may be distressed by the job market that they find in this down economy. However, Christians should take heart, because God has a message of encouragement for them in the Bible.

1. In John 16:33 (ESV), Jesus says to his disciples, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

My senior year of high school, my father was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. I wanted desperately to stay near my folks and help them, but the only place I could afford was the University of Arkansas (where I was offered a full scholarship). I had to trust God with my future and that of my father. Jesus gave me peace that this world is not my home (nor that of my father), and I should not place my hope in worldly things, but in Him.

2. In Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV), the Bible says, “'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.'”

We are promised in God's Word that He knows that our future is good, because he has planned it out beforehand. This verse was written specifically to the children of Israel, near the end of their Babylonian captivity, but I believe that a good future is God's intention for everyone who places their hope in Him and who are adopted through His grace.

Even when circumstances seem dire, we can know who holds the future. This was especially important to me when my husband finished graduate school. We had two babies and no job. Eventually, God provided my husband with a job installing satellites to make ends meet. While this seemed like a dead end job, within six months he had been promoted to a position where he was able to use his degree. God knew all along!

3.The apostle Peter says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you” (1Peter 5:7, NLT).

While God abhors it when we grumble to one another (1 Corinthians 10:10), he is pleased when we speak to him about our worries. He is, after all, someone who can actually do something about it. My husband was laid off last year, along with a myriad of other people at his company, and we were worried. Like many others, our house had lost value and we were searching for a job. We called upon God, and within two months we had a new job and even got to move back to my husband's home state. It is so good that the Lord cares!

4. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4, ESV).

Theologians call this process leading to eternal perfection “sanctification.” The Bible makes it clear that although we are currently very flawed, God is perfecting his people. When God brings us through hard times, it strengthens our trust in him and makes us more like Jesus with regard to compassion and holiness. That is why it should make us joyful!

This is one area I know I need to be perfected in, because it is extremely difficult to be joyful during trials. The only example I can think of is when I was trying to convince my aging (but highly intelligent) grandfather to put his trust in Jesus. He decided that he was going to look into religion and find out if any of the world religions contained the truth. That trial I considered all joy, because although I worried about his eternity, I knew I was both pleasing God and doing what was good for him when I would send him books in which to research. He was happy to have the free reading material, and after years of looking into the matter, he decided to believe in Jesus. He lead the last five years of his life reading the Bible and singing praises to God!

5. “Or which one of you, if his sons asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11, ESV).

God is not a magical vending machine, but he does love us more than any earthly father ever could. Whether we need a trial for our sanctification or a loaf of bread to feed our stomachs, God will always provide for his people. So go ahead and ask! He will not always give you what you want, but I bet you will always have what you need.

During my first four years of marriage, we lived off of less than $10,000 per year, because we were students. However, as tired as we got of broken cars and overdue dental visits, we never starved and we always had clothes on our backs. God will provide for you too, if you only ask him. Also, some wise budgeting of what he gives you can come in handy!

6. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).

I suspect we will not see the fulfillment of this verse until after Jesus returns, but it certainly gives me hope that, in this grand story that the Master of the Universe is weaving, my trials play some part in making a happy ending.