Biblical Encouragement for the New School Year

Back-to-school season feels full of possibilities this year. The possibility that school will feel a little more “normal” this year seems within reach, as some schools shift away from the pandemic-related restrictions they used last year. The possibility that school will be just as messy, with a return to quarantining and virtual classes, is also on the table. The possibility that some kids will get sick and some kids will not is also a real threat. School field trips or organized sports and activities may be possible again . . . or not. And in the midst of all of these possibilities, there are the traditional transitions of adjusting to new classmates, teachers, and routines.

God Knows What Will Come

How can we start this school year full of possibilities and transitions on the right track? By starting in Christ. The year ahead is full of possibilities, yes. But they are held in the hands of a powerful and present God. Although we may look at this year and see unknowns, our God looks at the year ahead and already knows it intimately. In Christ, we have that same gift—the opportunity to look at this year, not through our own eyes of optimism or pessimism (or both); but faith gives us the opportunity to look at this year through the viewpoint of the Savior. 

You might be thinking at this point “But how can we see what God sees?” I’m so glad you asked. God has given us His Word, the Bible, where He reveals Himself to us. We can turn to Scripture to help us retrain our eyes and our view of the world. When we look to Jesus, we see He has the radical ability to shift how we look at every other aspect of our life.

Encouraging Scripture for Fall

Here are five Bible verses to use to encourage yourself and your family this fall as you look at the possibilities and transitions ahead in your life:

1. Come and see what God has done: He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of man. Psalm 66:5
2. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27
3. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8
4. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1–2
5. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24–25

Our Hope Is Not in What We See

Romans 8 really gives us a great viewpoint to focus on for the upcoming school year. In the face of what we see, we hope for what we can’t view. In the face of the possibilities of this school year, whether you are able to go to school with or without masks; in the face of the possibility that you are able enjoy a full schedule or not; in the face of the possibility that your child will or won’t like his or her teacher, we have hope. Hope not for what we can see, but what we can not see. We have hope because even for those things that we cannot yet see, Christ can see them clearly.

Write out Romans 8:24–25 or any of the verses above on a Post-it note and stick it to your bathroom mirror where you will see them as you get ready for your day each morning. Include them as a note in your child’s lunch box. Text them to your teenager during the day. Read one each day of the week on the way to school and ask God to help you keep your focus on Him as you each go through your day.

Scripture: ESV^®.

You can download the Everyday Faith calendar for a full month of daily readings and prompts focused on looking at God.