Have you ever struggled to trust God the same way you’ve struggled to trust people?
Have you lacked confidence to trust God in difficult times because the people who promised you the world failed?
Much like a hand placed tightly against your eyes, you can’t see your way forward to the future you once dreamed of in the small, toxic world that people and circumstances created for you. And, as much as you want to trust God in all things, it’s easy to believe the lie that His promises simply don’t apply to your difficult life.
God, will You ever come through for me in this difficult season?
Trusting God in difficult times hits differently than trusting God when things are going well, doesn’t it?
When trust is broken and difficult times come, who are we to go to as a source of strength, comfort, guidance, and help? How are we to move beyond ourselves to not miss God working all around us because we’re holding disappointment too closely at hand?
Thankfully, it’s never too late to posture ourselves to look for God who is always working for our good, behind the scenes of our lives.
God Invites Us to Seek His Face and His Freedom
“And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest'” (Ex. 33:14).
This verse reminds us of God’s undivided devotion and wholehearted commitment to go with us. We can experience freedom in experiencing deep soul rest only God’s presence provides when the pressures of life weigh heavily. And we can trust God in difficult times of wondering if our obedience was enough to make impact for His glory.
Once we place our trust in God, we too, step into a different kind of freedom. But because we are human, we will still encounter days when our best attempts of representing him fall short.
God Asks Us to Trust Him—Even When We Don’t Understand
I remember a sermon where our pastor, J.D. Greear, shared a time during high school when—after placing his trust in God—he wanted to impact others. He prayed to have the courage to share God’s love and grace with a young man whose locker was adjacent to his.
One day, he had the opportunity and felt a strong sense of God’s leading with a powerful whisper saying, “Now is the time.” He obediently and passionately poured out the truth of the gospel but felt his words were not received.
He struggled with the trust he felt in God and whether he heard and obeyed Him correctly.
How was he to trust God the next time since the person he had courageously and obediently shared the gospel with had not placed his trust in God?
Ten years later, he received a letter from a girl sharing how she had overheard J.D.’s conversation from her locker nearby. She had accepted Christ as her Savior as a result, and her letter recounted how significantly knowing Christ as her Savior had transformed her life since that day.
Imagine the human difficulties everyday life brings our way. She could have blindly missed experiencing God’s ability to see her through these hard times had she not believed.
God reiterated to J.D. that He could be trusted in difficult times and that to be used by God doesn’t mean we are exempt from facing difficulties ourselves. One person, acting in obedience, can unveil God’s ultimate plan being fulfilled.
Understanding God’s omnipresent ability to be in all places at all times encourages us, as it did the nation of Israel when facing difficult times requiring obedience.
As we look for God in our own journey of life, we can fully trust His ability to lead us through each day’s challenges, seeing beyond our own human frailty and those of others to embrace God’s omnipotent limitless power.
Our prayers will transform from fear-filled cries to trusting expectancy: God, how do you plan to work in these difficult circumstances? Help me to see You clearly, trust You more obediently, and partner with You most effectively.
Choosing to Trust God Gives Us Courage
Looking for God each day of our lives and partnering with God gives us courage to move in faith and act obediently while trusting His unseen plans that are always unfolding.
When it seems like God has changed His mind, and we’re wondering if we’ve failed though we’ve done our best to follow His leading, we can find hope in knowing obedience to God is never failing. It is always a win.
God doesn’t change His mind, but He changes us to be able to have His mind and live a life of trusting His ever-present, all-seeing ability to work in the right timing for His right reasons. Lovingly, He invites us to experience a trusting relationship with Him. One where we know without any doubt, He has good in mind for us—even when facing difficulties.
As we grow in our knowledge of who He truly is, we will be able to take our eyes off of our own disappointments to see all He is accomplishing around us.
If, as a young teenager, my pastor hadn’t moved beyond the day when he felt he had fallen short in presenting the gospel, if he had remained disillusioned in not seeing the results he’d hoped for rather than moving on to trust God in difficult times of confusion, he might have turned to a different profession in life. He might not have accepted God’s calling into ministry, and I would have never heard the story during a time of life when I, too, faced a difficult season and needed reminding that God can be trusted at all times.
“… call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Ps. 50:15 NIV).
Trusting God Will Look Different for Everyone
Trusting God in difficult times looks different for each of us but how wonderful to know we honor God when we call to Him in times of difficulties. Calling to God is a true sign of trust.
Throughout my many years of speaking and teaching God’s Word, I’ve had the privilege of hearing stories shared where various difficulties and struggles broke trust in God. Broken vows and other traumas had placed blinders over these women’s spiritual eyes leaving them unable to see how their circumstances could be used for good.
Their personal hardships had left them untrusting of people, and this spilled over into distrusting God. So many have lost confidence in themselves because after spending years speaking God’s truth over their children or spouse they were left to feel like a failure, unable to see any ounce of fruit in the lives of those they had raised, loved, and served.
When we fail to perceive God’s greater plans, we sometimes say, “Where are you, God?” And, as if bartering with the Almighty, we plead, “If You come through for me in this difficult time, I will trust You when things are better.”
But what if God wants us to trust Him right in the middle of the hard?
Trusting God Teaches Us About God’s Character
It’s unfair to evaluate God’s unfailing character against mere humans who fall short in safeguarding our trust.
There is wisdom in not growing weary in doing good and knowing that God is delighted when He sees His children moving in obedience and love for Him even if our attempts feel feeble.
It’s not for us to decide whether or not all we attempt to do for God is successful. God loves our efforts and goes to great lengths to help us overcome anxiety and fear that holds us back from courageously continuing on in faith when we fail to see with our eyes immediate results hoped for.
In difficult times, we can continue serving and loving in progressive faith, finding rest and reassurance that God is celebrating our growing obedience and trust in Him at all times, and in all circumstances.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Ps. 56:3–4).
Ready to Move Forward in Courageous Faith?
Here are a few related articles we hope will strengthen and encourage you as you practice trusting God no matter what difficult times you’re facing today.
- 5 Scripture-Based Prayers for Strength
- A Woman’s Prayer for Strength Is a Powerful Thing
- Be a Friend: My Grandmother’s Words of Wisdom
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
