From start to finish, the Bible provides a deep well of encouragement that autism parents can run to for restored hope and renewed strength. This list of verses is by no means exhaustive but I thought it might be helpful to compile 10 passages that I’ve found very encouraging especially in difficult times. Feel free to let me know in the comments if there is a specific verse in the Bible that you run to!

1. Deuteronomy 31:8

And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; Do not fear or be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31:8

Life’s path for an autism parent and their child can seem uncertain, uncharted, undefined, and uncomfortable. Life for any person is uncertain but in our society today there is at least a general expectation, or path, that runs through traditional schooling, graduation, college, landing a J-O-B, getting married, having kids, raising your family, retiring, and enjoying grandchildren. There is variation and deviation of course, but that is the general path most strive toward. However, for many on the autism spectrum, their path doesn’t run through these “milestones”.

I am so comforted that this passage talks about the Lord being the “One who goes before you”. That’s what He did for the Israelites as He led them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Our path isn’t uncertain to Him because He’s already charted the path ahead. He’s defined the way even as it meanders through hills, valleys, and thickets. God doesn’t just come alongside us on the journey, He’s already gone ahead of us, and because He’s gone ahead of us we can confidently forge ahead trusting that He is already there each step of the way.

2. Psalm 34:18

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Being a special needs parent will break you from time to time. It will reveal your sin and failures faster than anything else. I often feel like I’ve failed more than succeeded. Feelings of remorse and guilt are not uncommon. I hate feeling weak but I suppose I’d rather be made to feel weak rather than keep up with my delusions of strength.

It’s amazing how often I sense God’s presence or nearness when I am broken. It’s in those moments when all I want to do is flee from his presence out of guilt and shame that He seeks me out to demonstrate His love for me once again. Amazing love, how can it be?

3. Isaiah 12:2-3

Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 12:2-3

We saw from the Deuteronomy passage above that we can take comfort and not be afraid because the Lord goes before us. Here in Isaiah is another reason to not fear; because God is our salvation. Not only has he charted the path ahead, but He sustains us by His strength (not ours) along the way. And not only does He sustain us, He’s constantly saving us by drawing us back to Himself.

He bids us to come and draw joyfully from the deep well of salvation that never runs dry. It is at the well of Christ where the joy of salvation is restored and where we are upheld by his spirit (Psalm 51:12). Any other well will ultimately run dry because no other well has the power to save.

4. Isaiah 40:28-29

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Isaiah 40:28-19

The One who created the universe and wrote your story never grows tired. We can find renewed strength by resting in His. But how many times have you tried to rely on your own strength when the going gets tough? I like how Isaiah raises the questions rhetorically as if to say, “You should know this by now and I shouldn’t have to remind you again”. But like the Israelites of the Old Testament, I also need to be reminded again and again of the power and wisdom of God and that true strength is found in Him alone.

Furthermore, I can rarely make sense of what is going on around me. I don’t always understand how autism is being used as part of His plans and purposes. This verse reminds me that His understanding is beyond comprehension so I don’t have to worry about making sense of all life’s details.

5. Lamentations 3:22-23

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

As an autism parent, this is one of the most encouraging passages in the whole Bible. If it were not for His mercies being made fresh for me daily, I would be consumed by the stress and inadequacies that I feel. His mercies have nothing to do with our ability to be faithful to Him but everything to do with his great faithfulness toward us. His mercies are a daily gift we could never earn.

Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

6. Matthew 11:28-29

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

I recently finished a book titled, “Gentle and Lowly” by Dane Ortlund who unpacks this verse in great detail. It provided a window into the heart of Christ that I desperately needed to see for myself.

Here’s a couple statements from his book that really helped me reflect on the heart of Christ:

“You don’t need to unburden or collect yourself and then come to Jesus. Your very burden is what qualifies you to come”.

“With Christ, our sins and weaknesses are the very resume items that qualify us to approach Him. Nothing but coming to Him is required – first at conversion and a thousand times thereafter until we are with him upon death”.

“Yes, we fail Christ as his disciples. But his advocacy on our behalf rises higher than our sins. His advocacy speaks louder than our failures. All is taken care of”.

Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

I don’t need to carry the burdens of guilt and shame any longer. Christ took that yoke upon himself and nailed it to the cross. That work is finished and now I can rest in the fact that He goes before me and is with me every step of the way of this autism journey.

7. Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good those who love God, to those are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

I talked about how important this verse has been to my own autism journey in a previous post, Autism and God’s (Good) Plan. The Holy Spirit settled it deep in my heart that “all things” include the autism Katie and I wrestle with. That is our present reality, but we have much joy and hope. Yes, we groan for future redemption and the day when all will be revealed. Although that day has not yet come, we can live in the reality of this truth today, that all things work together for good. 

All things include autism. It includes illness. Losing a job. The passing of a loved one. That’s tough to process through. My brain has trouble comprehending it.

So much of what we experience in the present doesn’t seem good to us. It’s during those times that we must trust in God’s understanding and not our own (Proverbs 3:5). It doesn’t mean it’s pain-free. It doesn’t mean we can’t have questions. But, we can have hope now in the present!

8. Romans 11:36

For from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:36

If ever there was a “that says it all in a nutshell” verse, Romans 11:36 would be it. It’s the verse that motivated me to begin Autism4Christ and continues to be the verse pushing me to continue. I wanted to figure out a way to use the challenges of parenting children with autism to ultimately glorify Him. I fail to do that regularly, but I know God can take a crooked stick and use it for His purposes. Everything is from Him. Everything is upheld by Him. And everything is for His glory…..including special needs like autism.

Here is what I wrote from my previous post, “Autism and God’s (Good) Plan: Part 2”.

“If God is glorified more greatly through my kids’ autism, then I can press on in life with hope and joy that surpasses understanding.

If autism allows me to stand in greater wonder of His goodness, then I can consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).

We are not the author nor the main character in this crazy story of life. Jesus Christ is. But by God’s grace, He wants to use the threads of our life, no matter how significant or insignificant they seem, to redeem the world”.

9. Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

When God fills us with joy and peace, hope abounds. But notice that we cannot manufacture abounding hope by our own power. It comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.

I admit, I feel hopeless sometimes. I lose sight of what God is doing through us. I become frustrated, irritable, and resentful toward the challenges of autism. I forget the big picture.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God has relentlessly sought to bring me out of those “funks” time and time again. He reminds me of the joy I have in Him. He reminds me of the peace that comes by trusting that He already has it all figured out.

10. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Nothing has been more humbling than parenting kids with autism. It’s been one of God’s greatest tools of sanctification. It’s a sharp tool. As soon I think I have things under control, something happens to remind me nothing could be further from the truth.

The cares of my life are many. So many questions come in and out of my mind – What does the future hold for my kids? Will they be independent? Will they be taken advantage of? Will they be okay if something were to happen to Katie and I?

These are questions, or cares, that I must cast at the feet of Jesus realizing that His plans and purposes are greater than my own. We don’t need to be reluctant in doing so. This is an invitation to cast everything onto Him, and we can do so joyfully!

What an incredible comfort that is.