Courage can be hard to find. In a world of constant competition and comparison, it can be easy to become nervous, afraid and want to run away from it all. The Bible is full of people wrestling with this human weakness, our own struggle to get up and be confident. Can confidence be found within oneself, or must it be sought elsewhere? Scripture is constantly encouraging God's people to have confidence, not because they are great, but because their maker is. Here are 10 Bible verses about confidence.

1. 2 Chronicles 32:8

'With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.' And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

2. Psalm 71:5

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.

3. Job 4:5-6

But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;
it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
Should not your piety be your confidence
and your blameless ways your hope?

4. Nehemiah 6:15-16

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in 52 days.

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realised that this work had been done with the help of our God.

5. Hebrews 4:16

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

6. Hebrews 10:35-36; 39

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised...we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

7. 2 Corinthians 3:3-5

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

8. 1 John 5:14

This is the confidence which we have before him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

9. Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

10. Philippians 1:6

For I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.