Trust in God: 3 Ways to Trust in God

We’ve all had things happen that are perplexing, puzzling, or bewildering. And during “the thick of things” maybe it makes you wonder, “Does God really care, or is He there?” Perhaps He has a higher motive, learning to trust.

Trust means to rely upon someone or something for support, help or protection. Subsequently, Christian faith means to live a life of total dependence upon God. To trust in God is a hard spiritual discipline to learn.

The truth is learning to trust in God may require going through some challenging life experiences. We may even find ourselves thinking at times; I’ve done right, I’ve done His will, I’ve followed his commandments. So why is this happening?

And their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are working against me” (Genesis 42:36).  The dismal truth, not knowing teaches us a lesson in trust.

Jacob, at this point in his life was certainly struggling with trust in God. Jacob, who was a biblical Patriarch, couldn’t see beyond his circumstances. Does this sound familiar? How many times have we struggled to see beyond our circumstances?

The problem involved three of his sons. He believed Joseph was dead. His son Simeon was being held hostage, and he had to let Benjamin go away with the possibility of never seeing him again. Not a pretty picture.

In essence, this was more than Jacob could bear when he stated, “All things are working against me.” In the end, though, Jacob chose to trust God and let Benjamin go. Although he did not know it at the time, all three of his sons lives were preserved.

 “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). It is hard to trust when blinded by circumstances.

Now when we are thrown in the mix of a complex or tragic situation, it may be hard to see that anything good could come out of it. It’s impossible for us see the overall picture. We are not all-knowing, that’s God’s job. So the choice before us; believe God’s promise “all things work together for good.”

“Behold, I go forward but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him” (Job 23: 8-9).

Job (who suffered more than most ever will) is frustrated because he cannot find God in the midst of his suffering (Job 13:24). Likewise, at times that may seem the darkest in our lives we may experience the same dilemma, “We don’t sense God’s presence.”  Trust in God then becomes more difficult.

“Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence” (Psalm 139:7-8)?

Even though Job could not sense God’s presence, God was there. As David states in the above scripture, there is no place where God’s presence cannot be. Even when we are confused, struggling, or have no clarity in our circumstances.

Furthermore,  we may be thrown into a situation where God will strip us of all control. This can be a real challenge when we are left feeling totally helpless. As a result, we are forced to trust in God, there is no alternative.

The question now becomes, how do we learn to trust in God? In short, there are three ways to learn to trust in God; to know Him, to believe He is worthy of our trust, and remembering His faithfulness.

To begin with we can’t trust someone we don’t know. So we need to nurture our relationship with God. We do that by prayer and reading His word.

Second, we must believe that He is worthy of our trust. Unlike man He has the power to bring to pass what He plans and purposes to do (Isaiah 14:24). Also, He is worthy of our trust because, unlike man, He cannot lie and He fulfills His promises (Numbers 23:19).

Lastly, remembering God’s faithfulness is encouraging. As I have looked back on my past, the problems and battles I thought would never end have given way to peace presently (“Thus far the Lord has helped us” – 1 Samuel 7:12b).

When we recall the ways God has answered our prayers, it motivates us to continue asking and expecting answers. Writing things down or keeping a journal certainly helps.

In the end it comes down to trust in ourselves, or in others who have limited wisdom. Or trust in the all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, gracious, merciful, loving God who has good intentions for us.

We won’t always know what God is doing and why. In the end, as illustrated in the lives of Jacob and Job, their stories worked out for good. Therefore, let’s put our trust in God, and our life stories will work out for good as well.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).