10 Bible Characters Who Persevered Through Struggle

The Bible contains stories of characters who persevered through struggles, deepened their faith in God, and inspired generations of believers.

These faith-filled stories narrate the experiences of Bible characters who praised God in hard times. We empathize with these men and women because we can relate our stories of struggle in faith and life to theirs. Above all, we desire to be like them. They continued to praise God despite the most trying times. 

That is why when the going gets tough, we can turn to the Bible and relive stories like that of Job or Moses to find comfort. More importantly, however, these stories help us to understand God's will for humanity–even suffering humanity.  

Inspired by these stories of perseverance, we look at the experiences of 10 interesting Bible characters who praised God in the most challenging situations. Here, we also discover some of the best lessons on faith in God.

1. Joseph the Dreamer

Joseph was most beloved by his father, Jacob, yet hated by his half-brothers. Joseph struggled at home and in a foreign land. At home, Joseph's brothers loathed him because of the dreams he told them about. He had dreams about his brothers bowing down to him, and their father saw it as God’s prophecy for the family. Driven by envy, the brothers sold Joseph to traveling merchants, making their father believe Joseph was already dead.

In Egypt, Joseph's misfortunes continued as he was imprisoned because of a false accusation. Nonetheless, Joseph used God's gifts to help the Pharaoh lead the people during a famine. In return, Joseph received his life's greatest blessings—an admirable job, a family, and, most importantly, reconciliation and reunion with his brothers and father.

"God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God."

Genesis 45:7-8 

God has plans for all of us, whether we may be struggling at home or in a foreign place. Just like with Joseph, God's favors return to us in places and ways we least expect as long as we remain faithful to Him.

2. Moses, a Reluctant Leader

Moses never thought of leading the exodus of God's people to the Promised Land. He was just a shepherd and “was slow of speech and tongue.” However, Moses' encounter with God made all the difference.

Facing plagues, the Pharaoh's army, and stubborn people, Moses had all sorts of struggles that would have made any leader give up. Far worse were the internal battles that Moses had. After all they had endured since leaving Egypt, Moses doubted whether God would save His people.

Despite his struggles, Moses persevered and believed in God, as he shared in this verse:

"Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Exodus 14:13-15

Moses' perseverance reminds us to always call upon God, for He will surely deliver us from all our challenges, even if it seems impossible.

3. Ruth, the Loyal Woman

The story of Ruth starts with tragedy and several misfortunes. As a widow and an outsider in her community, Ruth could have easily abandoned her mother-in-law Naomi and continued her life elsewhere. 

But Ruth's faithfulness to God and Naomi was more important. Her loyalty served as her foundation for navigating the challenges of daily life. 

"But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'" 

Ruth 1:16

Ruth's story shows us that God is there for us even in the small and ordinary moments of our lives Just like Ruth, who faithfully faced challenges like poverty, death, and social discrimination, we can get through any struggle, for God is faithful to those who are loyal to Him.

4. David and His Giant Struggles

Nearly everyone knows how David defeated Goliath with just a sling and a stone. Facing the giant was not David's most significant test, however! 

When he was young and was to be appointed as King of Israel, David spent time evading Saul's attempt to kill him. Despite David's remarkable leadership, his reign was stained when he committed adultery. The consequences were severe—he had to endure the death of his first child. 

Beyond David's wrongdoings, we see a Bible character who truly repented and had his words about God etched in history forever because of his faith in God despite all the struggles.

"In my distress, I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears."

2 Samuel 22:7

We may hate to acknowledge it, but we are often responsible for our own struggles. However, repenting from our sins and returning to God, as David did, is one of the best ways to demonstrate our faith and perseverance in God.   

5. Jeremiah the Prophet

Jeremiah is known as the “Weeping Prophet” for several reasons. He wept over idolatry and false prophets. He prophesied about the downfall of many kingdoms, only to be persecuted further.

Nonetheless, Jeremiah continued to preach and prophesy in the Lord's name. His story exemplifies what it means to praise God in hard times, as eloquently written in the book Lamentations:

"Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

Just like Jeremiah, may we never be afraid to persevere for the truth, even if it means the world will persecute us for our faith.

6. Job: A Good Man 

The story of Job is one that many people use to try and answer the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Job, a wealthy man in the land of Uz, is “blameless” and “upright.” But God permits Satan to test Job's faith because Satan believed that Job would only remain faithful if life were without struggles.

In just one day, Job received reports of the loss of his children and all his other properties. He had terrible skin sores, and his wife insisted that Job denounce God. While Job's discourse contemplated the absence of God's answers, he still managed to exclaim praises to God:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

Job 1:21

It's not totally wrong to ask the Lord, “Why am I struggling in life?” Job's encounter with God tells us to persevere in faith even if we have lost everything and to trust the Lord, for He has reasons for allowing struggles in our lives. In the end, our struggles with faith can strengthen us. 

7. Peter the Apostle

Peter was the leader of the 12 apostles, but his struggles as a follower of Christ are well-documented in the Bible. When walking on water towards Jesus, he lost faith and sank. When asked if he was one of Jesus' closest followers, He denies knowing Jesus three times. 

After Christ's resurrection, Peter persevered to overcome his personal and spiritual struggles to show that he genuinely believed in Jesus. Every "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you" that Peter responded to Jesus' questions was a leap of faith for Peter despite all his imperfections.

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."

1 Peter 4:14 

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter spread the Gospel in the face of heavy persecution. Similarly, we are also called to rise above our personal issues so that we may show that we truly love God. 

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8. The Bleeding Woman

In Luke 8:40-48, a woman "who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years but no one could heal her" came up unnoticed and touched Jesus' cloak. She was immediately healed. Jesus asked who had touched his clothes and discovered that it was this woman. 

Then, Jesus uttered these frequently repeated but meaningful lines:

"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Luke 8:48

Many of us have similar experiences as this woman. Some of us suffer from incurable or chronic illnesses or experience spiritual battles. But the message from this story tells us that God heals and rewards us because of our faith in Him.

9. Paul the Missionary

Known as the greatest missionary, Paul serves as another inspiring Bible character who persevered through struggle yet continued to praise God. However, unlike many other Bible characters who lamented their struggles, Paul "gladly boasted" when he was suffering.

Paul spoke of the "thorn of suffering," but he knew it was part of glorifying God.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Suffering is never easy for any Christian, especially when it's a test of faith. Paul's words encourage us to let God's grace take over us when we are weak, for this will, all the more, glorify God.

If you find it hard to be grateful when suffering, just like Paul, our article, Gratitude in the Bible, can help you see struggles in a different light. 

10. Jesus Christ

This list would be incomplete without including Jesus. No suffering comes close to the experiences Jesus had from the Mount of Olives to His crucifixion on Calvary. Jesus could have chosen another path, but He obediently followed God the Father's plans for the salvation of everyone.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 

Luke 22:42

Jesus experienced anguish in body and spirit. It took all His strength to carry the cross and suffer on behalf of the sins of humanity. Jesus sacrificed to show how much He loves us.

There are many lessons we can take from the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Whatever suffering we have, we can always surrender them to God. Especially when we struggle in life, let us be reminded that God will never abandon us. 

Over to You

Struggles will always be part of the Christian journey. Sometimes, we find it difficult to understand why all these challenges happen to us. That is why we must turn to the Bible and seek God's assurance in times of distress.

The Bible shows us different characters who persevered through struggles yet glorified God. From these stories, we also find meaning in our sufferings and, most importantly, strengthen our faith in God.