Do you trust in God?
I don’t mean in a hypothetical way, but do you actually trust God? Do you believe God has a plan for your life, your specific personal life?
This question goes beyond wondering if you believe there is a God, or that He had a literal Son who came to save your soul. The question we will look at today impacts the way you live every day. You see, if you believe God has a plan for your life it changes everything you do, every single day. Today we will see 40 reasons to trust in the Lord regardless of our circumstances.
Do You Trust In God?
Did you know that before I ever get to ask you questions, God asks them of me? Do I trust in God? It is a hard question to answer sometimes.
- On the one hand, I believe in God, and I long to serve Him with my whole life.
- On the other hand, He is mysterious and hard to understand.
- Just when I think we are on a good footing, the bottom seems to drop out and I am left reeling again.
Yes, it is easy to trust God when life is good and everything makes sense. Trusting God in difficult times, however, is a struggle.
Related Post: Knowing God as a Loving Father
Trusting God’s Plans
It’s funny, the writing of this series has drug out over the course of several years of near-constant trials. When I began writing it, I was wrestling with the diagnosis of Autoimmune disease that was demanding I give up so much of what I loved in life. God had begun to teach me how to be still and know Him more. He was reinforcing the point that fear was not to be a part of my life.
Jeremiah 29:11 has been in the background of my heart through all the verses we’ve studied together through this 40-day fast.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NASB)
Now, as I finally finish the 40th day’s devotional it is in the midst of the unexpected loss of my mother to cancer. The Lord still reminds me to abide in Him with trust afresh.
Do I trust in God? Yes. Without a shadow of a doubt, still I find myself working through the question over and over again as life seeks to knock my faith down. Can you relate?
There are two obvious questions on this topic:
- What does trust in God mean?
- Why is trust important in God?
But before we answer those questions, I thought I’d share some of the reasons I have struggled to trust in the Lord fully in the past and why that is not the case anymore.
Questioning If God Is In Control
Bad things happen. For years I struggled with the idea that God is all-powerful and in control of all things. Is He? If God is in control of everything, why do bad things happen?
I know the Church’s answer, but when bad things happen to you personally, that answer falls flat. Of course, this is a fallen world and we do have free will, but does that lessen God’s control?
As a child, things happened that should never happen to a child. And statistics say I was just as normal as the rest of the 1 in 4 women who are abused… That abuse was no fault of my own. I was a child. Did God allow it or cause it?
If the fall of man and the free will of sinners are so great that they knock out God’s control of the world… I struggle to trust God. If…
However, if God is in control of all things and still in His divine sovereignty, He allowed or caused those things to happen to me… can we trust a God like that?
Did you find this mid-series? Go back here and read the intro and keep up with the series.
It is a fun cycle. The more we stay near God the more we can be still and not fear which leads to greater trust in God! Share on XGod Seems Silent
There have been so many times I’ve prayed, begging God to move, only to be met with silence. There are countless Scripture on trust in God that tell us to pray and trust Him to act. Among them is Romans 8:28.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NASB)
What do we do when God is silent? When God says, “No,” or, “Not yet,” how do we trust that He will work those things for good and glory?
I’ve struggled with that as I watched my mom dying of cancer. I believe God still heals today. Why does He heal some and not others? My mom loved Him. She spent her life sharing the Gospel with any in her path. But He didn’t heal her…
Can we trust Him when He is silent?
God’s Plans Don’t Make Sense
Has your life been hard to understand? God says that He has a plan for our lives in Jeremiah 29:11, but I rarely understand His plan.
If I were God, making plans for the lives of the people I care about, the plans would have a more logical flow. They would progress in a way that was slow and steady. As the person grows and serves the Lord, life would be better and better. Would anyone else vote for that kind of life?
God’s plans, however, seem illogical. We take one step forward and are thrown three steps back without warning or reason. The more we serve the Lord, sometimes the more He allows the enemy to attack. Innocents are hurt. The unjust rule and seem happy. All illogical to my finite human brain.
It is challenging to trust in God when life is hard, marriage is challenging, or things make no sense.
Learn more in the devotional: 14 Verses that Prove God Has a Plan for Your Life
It’s Hard To Surrender Control
At the heart of my struggle to trust in God’s plan is my need for control. After all these years I am still a closet control freak. God has been patiently revealing my control issues. Anyone else?
- He shines His light on the sin of idolatry as I seek to de-throne Him daily.
- He chases hard after my heart with reminders that I actually control nothing but that I can trust Him anyway.
Through it all, He reminds me to trust Him and not my own understanding. He pleads with me that the life of a Christian is not some fairytale version of the American dream. Rather, this life is meant to serve Him and grow His kingdom which will be met with resistance and hardship.
You Can Trust in God
After years of wrestling with the issue of trusting the Lord with all my heart, I’ve come to realize a few things.
- God’s timing and ways are beyond understanding – but that’s okay.
- He is okay with us not understanding Him and questioning Him.
- God is okay with us having more questions than answers.
- The Lord is never really silent, but we don’t always hear His answers.
- God loves us so much that He never stops wooing our hearts.
Often, in the midst of the trial, I can’t understand why God allows so much hardship into my life. Can you relate? But, after the hard has passed He reveals glimpses of His purpose. God never wastes a hurt.
# 1 Reason to Trust In God Through Trials is Growth
I still can’t say if He allows the hurt or causes the hurt or if a fallen world is to blame. What I know for sure though, is that every hurt I’ve endured has taught me something I needed to learn.
- Growth comes through hard times.
- Compassion grows.
- Patience grows.
- Joy and understanding grow.
We are better able to help others when we have suffered what they are enduring. You can trust in God to help you through the hard times. You can believe that He will then enable you to help others.
We can trust Him.
#2 Reason to Trust in the Lord is Compassion
The story of my life is filled with hurt, abuse, betrayal, abandonment, great loss, and grief. Some of those things came as a result of others’ sins and I was 100% innocent. But most of them are a result of my foolish, childish choices. I live in the consequences of many of my past unwise choices still today.
At the time, I blamed God. I was angry at God for allowing hurt, for not stepping in to stop the hurt. He could have. I’ve seen Him stop so many things… but He didn’t stop the hardships in my life.
- God allowed rape, abuse, and neglect as a child.
- He allowed countless affairs from my first husband.
- God allowed me to be taken for every earthly cent and forced to file bankruptcy before age 20.
- There are babies I’ll never meet until heaven.
Because I have walked through so much, I am able to understand when others are walking through hardships. Because I lived in sin (still loving Jesus) I can relate and not judge. As a result of my messed-up past, I have compassion for others in the thick of their own mess.
Compassion. It grew in me because through every trial I pressed into the Lord. I may have doubted I could trust Him but I kept leaning in (mostly), engaging with Him through the hard parts. He grew a heart of compassion inside of me and uses my messy story almost daily to encourage others to never give up trusting in Him because life is hard.
Life is hard. It just is.
The truth is, this world is not our home. Life is always hard for immigrants forced to take asylum in a foreign land filled with people who don’t really want them. Never forget, that longing for a better life… it should point your eyes back to God in heaven where your real home is waiting.
What Does Trust in God Mean?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB)
What does it mean to trust?
- Trust is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
So you have to ask yourself some questions.
Do You Have a Firm Belief in God?
- Is God reliable?
- Is He anything other than the truth?
- How do you see the ability or strength of God?
For me, even though I don’t often understand what God is up to, the answer would be yes to all of these questions.
- God has always been reliable.
- He is never false and can not lie.
- The ability of God and His strength are beyond dispute.
So we see that we can trust in God, meaning He is trustworthy even when we can’t understand what He is doing. Right?
Understanding What It Means To Trust God
Today, we focus on Jeremiah 29, to see that God has a plan for our lives so we can trust Him. This verse pairs so well with our study. Understanding what it means to trust God – to trust God’s plan for our lives – requires us to be still and know Him more.
Be still. That is the command God gives us in the midst of every kind of situation in life. It stands to reason that some of the reasons we can trust in God have to do with the promises He makes when we learn to be still.
Be Still – 12 Reasons to Trust in God
Learning to be still has been a challenge for me throughout the past decade. It is such a complex concept that we needed to allow several weeks to unpack how to be still together. Trusting God is about being still with Him.
We saw some key reasons to trust in the Lord while being still:
- God will fight for you when you are still.
- You can trust His heart.
- God has blessed you.
- His ability to provide everything you need has been proven.
- God’s plan for your life is good.
- He created the universe and can handle things.
- He promises to be found.
- God is praiseworthy.
- God calms the storms of life.
- He is dependable
- He warns us of evil.
- Jesus trusted the will of God.
To see these reasons we trust in God we will look at 12 Scriptures on faith and trust in God. We have studied each of these trust in God Bible verses already, so after the verse, I will leave a link for you to review the devotional.
#3 Be Still and Trust That God Will Fight For You
“The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm (Be Still).” Exodus 14:14 (AMP)
God will fight for you. We can trust in God – He will never fail you! We see countless examples of this in the Bible. Search out trust in God Scriptures for more examples of God fighting for His people.
Learn more in the devotional: God Will Fight For You, Be Still My Anxious Heart
#4 Be Still You Can Trust His Heart
“Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, yet we are still (Being Still) doing nothing to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?”” 1 Kings 22:3 (AMP)
It feels so hard to put your trust in God when He doesn’t answer your prayers the way you want. The reason we can still trust in God and do the right thing is that we know He knows best. God sees all of eternity. He sees the future and knows the way to guide each of us. Trust Him.
Learn more in the devotional: When God Says No It’s Hard to Be Still
#5 Be Still and Remember God Has Blessed You
“Tremble [with anger or fear], and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still [reflect on your sin and repent of your rebellion]. Selah.” Psalm 4:4 (AMP)
Remember that God has blessed you to help fight the worry that comes when you struggle. Remembering the blessings of the Lord is how to build faith and trust in God.
I prefer to write the blessings down in a journal and read over them when I am discouraged. Others talk about them often, and some worship through songs that speak about them. Find ways to help you remember and you will grow in faith.
Learn more in the devotional: How to Find Peace in the Midst of Chaos: Be Still in the Needs of Everyday Life
#6 Be Still Because God Provides
“The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters (Be Still and Drink to Refresh your soul).” Psalm 23:1-2 (AMP)
We can rest (be still) in God’s ability to provide everything we need. Of all the trusting in God’s plan Bible verses, these are my favorite. The man after God’s own heart needed to be reminded of who God was. That encourages me greatly! How about you?
Learn more in the devotional: Are You Trusting God in Difficult Times When You Don’t Understand?
#7 Be Still Because God Has A Plan for Your Life
“Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7 (AMP)
Learning to be still is about waiting on God. We must stop trying to get ahead of God’s plan for our life. When you trust in God, not men (even yourself) it shows real trust in the Lord!
Learn more in the devotional: How to Overcome Envy: Learn to Be Still
#8 Be Still Knowing the God of the Universe Can Handle Things
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (AMP)
God is teaching me to let go of my need to control everything. Does anyone else struggle with that need? Being still is about a deep trust that the God who created the universe can handle things.
Learn more in the devotional: Remember God Is in Control To Be Still
#9 Be Still and Seek God – He Promises to Be Found
“Do not keep silent, O God; Do not hold Your peace or be still, O God.” Psalm 83:1 (AMP)
When God seems silent, we must press harder to seek His face. The reason we can trust God in trials is His promise that He will be found when we seek Him. That promise comes from another set of trust in God verses (Jeremiah 29:13; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 15:2).
What we know is that God is the real prize in life. His presence is everything we desperately seek for satisfaction. Keep seeking Him, He will be found and you will be satisfied in His arms.
Learn more in the devotional: When God Is Silent You Must Pray to Be Still
#10 Be Still God is Praiseworthy
“Blessed and greatly favored are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; They will (Be Still) be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah.” Psalm 84:4 (AMP)
God is amazing and longs for us to praise Him with our whole hearts. We can be still in the midst of hardship because He is amazing and trustworthy. One way we push through it with peace of mind is by making a fool of ourselves in praise of HIM.
Have you ever praised the Lord so passionately that you felt foolish? Throw your hand up. Fall to your knees. Dance with Him. Sing at the top of your lungs (even if you don’t sing well). God is praiseworthy. Why not practice on earth what will surely be our worship in heaven?!?!?! Play some Trust in God songs and worship like a fool!
Learn more in the devotional: The Blessing of Praising God During Difficult Times: Stillness
#11 Be Still Because God Calms the Storms
“He hushed the storm to a gentle whisper, So that the waves of the sea were still (Be Still).” Psalm 107:29 (AMP)
God can calm any storm of life with a whisper. We can trust God through the storms and trials we face. He is able to move no matter how big the trials seem.
When you trust in God with all your heart, you are reminding yourself that He has calmed the storms before and He never changes. If He never changes, He will calm the storms again or He will calm you through the storm.
Learn more in the devotional: Can I Trust God in the Storm of Life to Be Still?
#12 Be Still God is Dependable
“Be silent (Be Still), you inhabitants of the coastland, You merchants of Sidon; Your messengers crossed the sea” Isaiah 23:2 (AMP)
Trusting in God requires us to stop fighting for self-reliance. We can depend on God because He never fails. We’ve already seen more than 10 reasons to trust God and we will see more than 20 more before we are done today.
He is trustworthy.
He is dependable.
God never changes and He never fails.
Trust Him today!
Learn more in the devotional: Be Still and Trust God When Change Is Hard
#13 Be Still When God Warns You of Evil
“O you sword of the Lord, How long will it be before you are quiet? Put yourself into your sheath; Rest and be still.” Jeremiah 47:6 (AMP)
God is just, which can be difficult to watch. When God warns us to stop sinning we must trust Him. He is not denying us pleasure or fun just to be unkind. God loves us and we can trust in Him and obey because we know He knows far more than we ever will.
Trusting God leads to obeying God even when we don’t really want to yet.
Learn more in the devotional: Can You Be Still When God Is Just?
#14 Be Still Because Jesus Was Still
“And He got up and [sternly] rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still (muzzled)!” And the wind died down [as if it had grown weary] and there was [at once] a great calm [a perfect peacefulness].” Mark 4:39 (AMP)
Jesus gave the perfect example of trusting in God. Jesus was still. He knew God, He trusted Him to deliver Him and to answer Him. The best reason to trust God is that Jesus could trust Him while on earth.
The life of Christ was hard. He lived a simple life, had little in life, suffered greatly throughout His life, but still trusted God. If Jesus could trust God with all He suffered, so can we!
Learn more in the devotional: Can You Trust the Will of God Like Jesus?
Why is Trust Important in God?
We now understand more about what it means to trust in the Lord. We are to be still, stop complaining, wait on Him, remind ourselves of His faithfulness, and praise Him as Jesus did.
Why is it so important to trust in God?
Fear.
The enemy loves to plague believers with fear. God, however, tells us, “Do not be afraid. Fear not. Be not afraid. Have no fear.” If we learn to trust Him, we can overcome fear!
#15 & 16 God Sees and Hears You
“God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.” Genesis 21:17
These two reasons to trust in God are similar to the foundation of a house. Without believing them you can never hope to live a life of trust and faith.
God sees you. He sees the good and the bad, the happy and the meh. God sees all of you and loves you – as you are!
God hears you. All the prayers you’ve prayed and wondered if they reached His ear, were heard! All the whispers and shouts and thoughts and tears were heard as well. God hears you and listens with a heart that cares for all you care about.
Trust in God!
Learn more in the devotional: How to Trust That God Hears You and Not Fear
#17 God Is With You
“The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham.”” Genesis 26:24
It doesn’t always feel like God is walking with you when life is hard, but it is true. He promises that He is always with us. Even when you feel alone, even when you feel abandoned, God is there.
Learn more in the devotional: Will You Trust That God Is With You When Life Is Hard?
#18 God Saves You
“But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.” Exodus 14:13
I keep saying this, but it is just that important for you to believe and remember!
Nothing is impossible with God!
The Bible says it this way in Matthew 19:26, “With God all things are possible.” We can trust in the Lord because He does save us. God saves us from both sin and hell, but also in the hardships of life!
Learn more in the devotional: How To Keep Trusting God When It Looks Impossible
#19 God Delivers You
“But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” Numbers 21:34
There might not seem like much of a difference between God saving you and God delivering you until you walk through something big. There are times when it feels like I am facing a giant in life. Something too big to survive comes alone from time to time and I need God to deliver me.
We can trust God because He conquers giants!
Learn more in the devotional: 3 Ways To Fight Your Battles Victoriously
#20 God Fights For You
“Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you.’” Deuteronomy 3:22
Sometimes God swoops in and saves us in a moment. Other times, God delivers us but we are part of the battle. The times I most know I can trust God, however, are the times He literally does the fighting for me.
God is a mighty warrior, a great champion, who always wins the battle! Trust Him as He fights the battle for you.
Learn more in the devotional: 7 Simple Steps to Prepare For Spiritual Warfare
#21 God Is Greater Than Your Enemy
“So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:16
If you ever feel as though the enemy you face is too big, too strong, or too seasoned in battle for you to win, you need this verse! God is bigger and stronger and way more seasoned than any enemy you face today! He will fight for you if you will be still before Him and refuse fear! And He will always win!!!!!!
Learn more in the devotional: How To Act Like God is Bigger Than Any Problem Today
#22 God Will Not Fail You
“Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:20
It is not considered acceptable in Christian circles to call yourself a failure… but I disagree. I have failed God more times than I can count. In seasons of my life, I’ve lived in outright sin and rebellion, literally thumbing my nose at God! Failure.
Other times, I was convinced God failed me. Rape. Why did He allow that? Miscarriages? Again, why? Divorce, betrayal, sickness, loss… He could have stepped in and stopped every bit of that, but He allowed it into my life story.
Now, I see that He didn’t actually fail me, because He never wasted a single hurt. In the midst of failure, when we choose to turn toward God rather than away from Him, He proves Himself trustworthy over and over again.
Shoot, even when I turned completely away from Him, He still chased me down, wooed me back, and proved Himself to me. You can trust in God!
Learn more in the devotional: I Failed God and God Failed Me: Learning To Be Still
#23 The Lord Is For You
“The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6
Why did God chase me back when I turned from Him? Does He pursue us? Why did He pursue Israel? The Lord is really for us, on our side!
God really does have a good plan for my life and your life. It can be hard to believe at times when we face hardship, but it is so true.
And, if God is for you it doesn’t matter who is against you – they will always lose!
Learn more in the devotional: How To Trust That God Is for You to Be Still & Not Fear
#24 The Lord Is Your Strength And Help
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” Isaiah 41:10 &13
During the season of caring for my dying mother, He reinforced this reason to trust in God. There were days without sleep, and times when I had to care for her while refereeing 4 bickering kids. I had to homeschool, clean house, feed tiny humans, and support my stepdad and brother. Throughout it, I had to make time for my husband, serve at church, teach at a co-op, and write and edit articles. All that and more had to keep going, all the while I was emotionally processing the reality that these would be the last moments I had with my mom on earth.
God was my strength. I knew it was Him because I am not strong enough. We could feel His arms holding us together, holding us up, keeping us from falling apart. God is good, even in the bad. I trust in God more now for the strength He gave through that season walking through the valley of the shadow of death!
Learn more in the devotional: Will You Trust That God Is Your Strength in Hard Times?
#25 The Lord Redeems You And Calls You By Name
“But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!” Isaiah 43:1
Have you lived out a mess of a life, like I have? There were seasons when I doubted God could ever want me again after the sin I willingly walked into.
Praise the Lord that He is faithful and righteous even when we are not! He forgives and redeems the worst mess.
Then, He calls us by name. Can you picture the God of the universe calling you by name? It gives me chills. We can trust this God!
Learn more in the devotional: God Redeems You and Calls You By Name
#26 The Lord Will Cover Your Shame
“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.” Isaiah 54:4
We all sin. The beauty of God is that He really does forgive and forget our sins. God doesn’t cause us shame for forgiven sins!
The enemy, on the other hand, tries to burden us with unnecessary shame and guilt. Not God. We can trust the heart of God that brings forgiveness, healing, and peace!
Learn more in the devotional: God Covers Our Shame in the Bible With New Life
#27 The Lord Adopts You
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”” Romans 8:15
Do you feel the joy of these reasons to trust in God? They are building! Can you feel it?
He sees you and hears you. God fights for you, saves you, conquers giants for you, and never loses a battle. God calls you by name and not only that, He calls you by HIS name! You are an adopted child of the King of kinds.
To adopt you means He chose you, handpicked you, and wants you for His own child. How could you not trust Him when He chose you for His own family?
Learn more in the devotional: Give Up Fear: You Are Adopted By God
#28 The Lord Has Done Great Things For You
“Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the Lord has done great things.” Joel 2:21
Has God done great things for you?
I ask in honest curiosity as much as to prompt you to think back… These are some of the great things He’s done for me.
- God saved me.
- He took me out of an abusive situation.
- God exposed me to real Christians.
- He kept pushing me to trust people when I wanted to quit.
- God intervened in my plans for suicide.
- He pursued me when I was running from Him
- God brought Bud into my life.
- He sent me to the right doctor to find out why I was losing babies.
- He blessed me with 2 living children!
- God opened the door for the home we live in.
- God opened the door for jobs for my husband.
- He introduced me to my best friends (such a God story).
- He brought me the family I nanny for.
- The Lord gave my daughter the exact bed she prayed for.
- God kept us from losing our home.
- God brought us to the right counselor for our child on the spectrum.
Yes, God has been good to me. He has been faithful. I have not always been faithful but He always has! I trust Him!!!!!!!
Learn more in the devotional: 3 Ways to Survive Spiritual Drought: The Lord Has Done Great Things
#29 God Makes All Things New
“Do not call to mind the former things,
Or consider things of the past.
Behold, I am going to do something new,
Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NASB)
There are days when it is hard to remember the good things God has done in the past because the present is so difficult. Can you relate?
Some seasons feel like walking through a Spiritual desert with no hope of water to refresh my soul. Those are the times this reminder resounds loudly to my heart.
We do not have to live off of the memories of the good things God has done. God is still doing great things! He tells us to look ahead, even in the midst of the wilderness. He promises to make roadways and rivers. God is still working in your life. Keep trusting Him and looking for what He will do next.
Learn more in the devotional: 25 Ways to Fight Spiritual Clutter
Ways To Trust In God Consistently
On this 40-day journey, we have learned how to be still and know God more. We have also learned not to fear when life is hard because God is with us. We finished by learning ways to abide in Christ to continue being still and fighting fear.
So far in our study, we have learned that to trust God we must know Him more. To know Him more we must abide (dwell, remain, linger) with Him more. It is a fun cycle. The more we stay near God the more we can be still and not fear which leads to greater trust in God!
The last set of reasons to trust in Jesus is about practicing our faith in a more practical, daily way than most are used to doing.
#30 – He Calls Us To Abide
“Remain (abide, dwell) in Me, and I [will remain] in you” (John 15:4 APM)
The very fact that Jesus tells us to abide in Christ, abide in Him, is a great reason to trust Him. Our God is not distant, far off, or uninterested in our lives. He is near. He longs to be in a genuine relationship with us, His children. That relationship is similar to a marriage in the ways it requires 2-way communication and lots of grace!
Far from a repetitive trust in the Lord sermon, this is a list of reasons that draw me closer and closer to the heart of God.
We can trust in Jesus!
Learn more in the devotional: 8 Ways To Abide in Christ to Be still Every Day
#31 – We Have God’s Word
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you” (John 15:7 NASB)
We are told to abide in His Word which is a reason to trust Him. Christianity is not a religion of blind faith! No, rather, we have instructions, testimonies, and a history that helps us hold strong.
Whenever you start to wobble in your faith, reach for the Bible and be strengthened!
Learn more in the devotional: How to Abide in the Word of God For Blessing
#32 – Abide in Prayer
“ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 NASB)
We serve a God who wants to hear from us! Not only can we talk to Him, but He talks to us through the Bible (among other ways). Christianity is a faith founded on a deep relationship with God. What a wonder that is, that God wants a relationship with us! He is trustworthy!
Learn more in the devotional: 4 Ways to Abide in Prayer: Harness the Power of Prayer Jesus Way
#33 – He Wants Our All
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (John 15:10 NASB)
Surrender is a tough part of our faith, but it is a great reason to trust God. God wants you, all of you. What a wonder that is! He doesn’t just want you for heaven, no, He wants you to give Him everything right now.
Every fear and failure, He wants those to use to help others.
Every talent and success, He wants those to help others.
We serve a God who is actively involved in the daily lives of His people. That is a great reason to trust Him. He is not distant or dictating. Everything He asks of us is for our good and His glory. Beautiful!
Learn more in the devotional: How To Really Give Your Life To God In Full Surrender
#34 – Abide in Christ through Fasting
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:8 NASB)
God is always calling us to seek Him more. He longs for us to go deeper in our faith Fasting is a privilege for every believer to draw nearer to God and know Him more.
What more evidence of God’s trustworthiness do you need? He wants you to know Him more.
Learn more in the devotional: What Are the Benefits of a Fasting and Prayer?
#35 – There Are Other Believers
“As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine” (John 15:4b NASB)
You are not the only follower of Jesus. There are Christians all over the world with whom we can gather together. We are called to meet together often because it encourages and grows our faith to do so!
What an amazing God to not leave us alone in our faith. What a wonderful God to know we would feel alone or be tempted to try to do it all alone. He is worthy of our trust!
Learn more in the devotional: 20 Questions Answered: What Does the Bible Say About Going to Church?
#36 – God Serves and Calls Us to Serve
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12 NASB)
We see in the life of Jesus, a man who was all God, serving others. Flawed, failing, sinful humans were served by the God of the Universe. Jesus literally washed feet while on Earth. Nothing is beneath His dignity.
Still, God serves us, protects us, fights for us, defends us, provides for us, and more. God is a servant. He calls us to follow His example and serve others, even the least of our society.
The God who Serves is a God I can trust!
Learn more in the devotional: 3 Powerful Ways to Develop A Servants Heart
#37 – Abide in Christ by Witnessing
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (John 15:6 NASB)
I grew up in a sort of cult-like church environment. We had Jesus but we kept Him to ourselves. You had to come to us, and meet our standards and even then there were few guarantees.
When I found freedom from that, when I met the God of the Bible I found Him altogether different than who I had been taught He was.
God is inclusive He doesn’t demand we get our stuff together before approaching Him. God calls us as we are and loves us where we are. He commands every single Christian to share their story, to share the Gospel, inviting more and more into His family and Kingdom.
Trustworthy!
Learn more in the devotional: 10 Compelling Reasons to Share the Gospel
#38 – Abide in Solitude
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4 NASB)
Of all the things that help me trust God more, solitude is near the top of the list of reasons. Life is busy. God knew that and gave us directions to get alone with Him often. He knew we would need help staying familiar with His voice… and we do.
Solitude and stillness with God help me trust Him more. They help me feel nearer to Him than when I am in a great church service. When I hear His voice and feel His presence I am again reminded I can trust Him, that my trust is not in vain.
Learn more in the devotional: How To Harness The Power of Spiritual Solitude
God Really Does Have A Plan For Your Life
We began this review with a question. Do you really trust in God?
Is your trust more than a moment in your past where you prayed a prayer? The Bible is filled with stories showing God has a plan. Filled.
The problem, for me anyway, is not believing God has a plan. No, my problem is believing God’s plan is good…
#39 – God Made a Good Plan
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NASB)
This verse is special to me because my mom loved it so much. She quoted it to me over and over again. In fact, she didn’t have trust in God quotes, she had many trusting in God Bible verses to back up her life choices.
The key to this verse is the last bit. “Plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
My life has been filled with disaster. Hope has been hard to hold onto. How do you hold onto hope when it doesn’t feel like God’s plans are for your good? Perspective.
God didn’t promise us a comfortable life, a financially prosperous life, a healthy life, or a conflict-free life. Nope, we need a perspective shift to understand God’s good plans!
In God’s economy, Spiritual growth or Spiritual maturity is prosperous…
Learn more in the devotional: Coming Soon*
#40 – God Wins
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NASB)
Here is the thing about that perspective change, this world is NOT our home. We are pilgrims, passing through a hostile land deeply entrenched in war.
The end is beautiful, God wins the war! We will be home with Him one day.
The challenge is keeping our eyes fixed there while living in this strange world. The challenge is remembering that things are upside down and backward in God’s kingdom.
On earth, good and prosperous have to do with comfort, wealth, and ease in life. In God’s kingdom, however, character, virtue, sacrifice, and faith are worth more. It is when we forget which Kingdom we belong to that we forget God is good and trustworthy!
Learn more in the devotional: (coming soon*)
Will You Trust In God Today?
Did you realize this 40-day fast took us through 40 amazing reasons to trust in God? It has strengthened my faith and helped remind me of so many things. What about you?
Will you trust Him more today?
Prayers For Faith and Trust in God
Father God,
You are trustworthy. Forgive me for forgetting. Forgive me for looking away from You. Being a pilgrim in this world is distracting. All around I see a different set of values. I feel so strange pursuing the things of God when others turn away from You. Keep me strong.
Even Christians in my life seem to pursue earthly gain and forsake You. Help me stay the course. Surround me with like-minded Believers to help keep me encouraged and strengthened on this journey.
When the load is too heavy and I am sinking in doubt, remind me to fix my eyes back on You. Remind me to take Your yoke instead. Keep me wrapped in Your arms of peace and strength.
I long to keep trusting You. Help me where I am weak.
Amen
in Him
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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