BIBLE CHARACTERS WHO STARTED OVER AFTER DIFFICULT TIMES

By Pastor Joel – Open Heaven Christian Church – Fisher, Arkansas

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1. Adam & Eve

What happened:

They sinned and were expelled from Eden.

How they started over:

Began a new life outside the garden with God’s promise of redemption.

Genesis 3:16–24 (KJV)
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Genesis 4:1–2 (KJV)
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel…

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2. Noah

What happened:

The world was destroyed.

How he started over:

Began a new life after the flood under God’s covenant.

Genesis 9:1, 8–17 (KJV)
1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
10 And with every living creature that is with you…
11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant…
13 I do set my bow in the cloud…
15 And I will remember my covenant…
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant…

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3. Abraham

What happened:

Left homeland, famine, danger, long waiting.

How he started over:

Obeyed God’s call for a new beginning.

Genesis 12:1–4 (KJV)
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country…
2 And I will make of thee a great nation…
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken…

Genesis 15:1–6 (KJV)
1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision…
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

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4. Jacob

What happened:

Fled for his life after deception.

How he started over:

God gave him a new identity.

Genesis 32:24–30 (KJV)
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day…
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel…
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel…

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5. Joseph

What happened:

Betrayed, enslaved, imprisoned.

How he started over:

God elevated him and restored him.

Genesis 50:20 (KJV)
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good…

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6. Moses

What happened:

Fled Egypt after killing a man.

How he started over:

Called by God into a new mission.

Exodus 3:1–12 (KJV)

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7. Naomi & Ruth

What happened:

Loss of husbands, famine, hopelessness.

How they started over:

Returned to Bethlehem; God restored their family line.

Ruth 4:14–17 (KJV)
14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord…
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name… Obed… the father of Jesse, the father of David.

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8. Job

What happened:

Lost everything.

How he started over:

God restored him double.

Job 42:10–17 (KJV)
10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job…
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…
17 So Job died, being old and full of days.

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9. David

What happened:

Hunted by Saul; later sinned.

How he started over:

Repented and was restored.

Psalm 51:10–12 (KJV)
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God…
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation…

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10. Elijah

What happened:

Burned out and depressed.

How he started over:

God renewed him and reassigned him.

1 Kings 19:11–13 (KJV)
(God speaks in the still small voice)

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11. Jonah

What happened:

Ran from God.

How he started over:

God gave him a second chance.

Jonah 3:1–3 (KJV)
1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh…
3 So Jonah arose…

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12. Hezekiah

What happened:

Terminal sickness.

How he started over:

God healed him and extended his life.

2 Kings 20:5–6 (KJV)
5 …I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee…
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…

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13. Jeremiah

What happened:

Depression, persecution.

How he started over:

Found hope in God’s mercies

Lamentations 3:21–24 (KJV)
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed…
23 They are new every morning…
24 The Lord is my portion…

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14. Daniel

What happened:

Exiled; thrown to lions.

How he started over:

God delivered him.

Daniel 6:22 (KJV)
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths…

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15. Peter

What happened:

Denied Jesus.

How he started over:

Forgiven and commissioned.

John 21:15–17 (KJV)
(Jesus restores Peter)

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16. Paul

What happened:

Persecutor of Christians.

How he started over:

Converted and became an apostle.

Acts 9:3–6 (KJV)
3 …a light from heaven…
4 …Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
6 …Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

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17. Prodigal Son

What happened:

Ruined his life.

How he started over:

Returned to his father and was restored.

Luke 15:20–24 (KJV)

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18. Woman Caught in Adultery

What happened:

Condemned and facing death.

How she started over:

Jesus forgave her.

John 8:10–11 (KJV)
10 …Woman, where are those thine accusers?
11 …Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

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🌟 ADDITIONAL KJV VERSES ON STARTING OVER

God can and will restore your life no matter how hard it may seem to you or others. When Jesus died on the cross for all of the worlds sin, everything seemed hopeless to the diciples and God restored all of them and their faith because of his lovingkindness toward them, and the Lord loves you and knows everything that has ever happened in your life and wants to save, heal, and deliver you from all dispair and hoplessness. – Trust in the Lord and in the power of His might!

Isaiah 43:18–19 (KJV)
18 Remember ye not the former things…
19 Behold, I will do a new thing…

Lamentations 3:22–23 (KJV)
(already quoted above)

Psalm 30:5 (KJV)
…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…

Philippians 3:13–14 (KJV)
13 …forgetting those things which are behind…
14 I press toward the mark…

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🧩 LIST ORGANIZED BY TYPES OF STRUGGLES

No matter what has happened to you, God is present to help, call on the Lord and he will help you!

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. – (Psalm 46:1)

1. Betrayal / Rejection

• Joseph — Genesis 37; 39–41
• David — 1 Samuel 18–24
• Jesus’ disciples fleeing Him — Luke 22–24
• Prodigal Son — Luke 15:11–24

2. Loss / Grief

• Job — Job 1–2; 42
• Naomi — Ruth 1; 4
• David losing his child — 2 Samuel 12
• Hannah — 1 Samuel 1

3. Personal Sin / Moral Failure

• David with Bathsheba — 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51
• Peter denying Jesus — Luke 22; John 21
• Jonah disobeying God — Jonah 1–3
• Woman caught in adultery — John 8:1–11

4. Fear / Running Away

• Elijah — 1 Kings 19
• Moses fleeing Egypt — Exodus 2–3
• Jacob fleeing Esau — Genesis 27–32

5. Depression / Hopelessness

• Elijah — 1 Kings 19
• Jeremiah — Lamentations 3
• Naomi — Ruth 1:20–21

6. Sickness / Physical Affliction

• Hezekiah — 2 Kings 20
• Job — Job 2; 42
• Paul’s “thorn” — 2 Corinthians 12:7–10

7. Punishment / Consequences

• Adam & Eve — Genesis 3
• Jonah — Jonah 1–2
• Israel in exile — book of Ezra, Nehemiah

8. Catastrophe / Disaster

• Noah after the Flood — Genesis 6–9
• Job’s sudden losses — Job 1–2

When life seems to hard to bear, know that God has a perfect plan for your life to restore your life no matter how difficult it may seem.

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. – (Psalm 37:5)

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. – (Isaiah 43:19)

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him. – (Nahum 1:7)

Hope this has helped someone who may be going through struggles in life.

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