Learning how to trust God in difficult times will be a quality and strength that will carry you through any situation. When you realize the positive things that are born from difficulties, your trust in Jesus Christ has the opportunity to grow. You will develop greater faith, resilience, and hope. Trials and difficulties serve a purpose, and God knows how to keep you when you face them. So…
- Why does God put us through hard times?
- Why does God allow hard and painful circumstances?
Nobody enjoys going through difficulties. Trials are part of life for the Christian and the non-believer alike. However, when a Christian learns to put their trust in God during times of difficulty, they will see the hand of God and additional growth in their walk with Him. His infinite wisdom and love for His children are shown even during the hard times.
What Does God Say About Going Through Hard Times?
The Bible blesses Christians with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, inviting every person to live a life free from sin and receiving peace that passes understanding. The beauty of salvation also offers love, joy and other fruit that is produced in the heart of the child of God.
Even with all the amazing things a relationship with God provides, the Word does not shield away from telling about the not-so-enjoyable parts. Trials, heartaches, and struggles have their portion in the life of the Christian as well. The Word talks about struggles.
James 1:2-4 NIV tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
You can have confidence that your trials are serving a purpose. God is building important traits in your life that are necessary for maturing and learning to stand strong in any situation.
How To Trust God in Difficult Times
Keeping faith in God during hard times is one of the most important things you can do for your Christian walk. In this world with billions of people, it is evident that human beings from every corner of the world face trials and difficulties. It is a given that trials are going to happen. You have a more favorable outcome when you keep Jesus close to you when the hard times come. You can call on the One who can give you peace, healing, deliverance and more! It isn’t necessary to handle your problems on your own. Your Savior wants to help you! Never allow the temptation of throwing in the towel to become your decision. Fighting trials alone removes the supernatural strength and interaction that will help you come out of your difficulties with victory.
You wouldn’t be the first person to wonder if God is still there, when thoughts bombard your mind, making you wonder if He hears your cries. Refer back to James 1:2-4 to remind you that He is taking you somewhere. As you face each day as it comes, remind yourself that God is in control. He hasn’t lost a single ounce of His power, and He sees everything that is happening in your life.
Continuing to pray for God’s help when you feel like the world is caving in all around you is vital. Prayer can do at least two things: It can give you the strength you need to endure the length of your trial, or it can change the outcome of that trial. Learning to trust God is not only for believing God will give you the desired outcome. Trusting God in dark times is telling Him that you believe He knows what is best for you and that you have a surrendered heart to His will.
You may be able to look back and remember the time when you first began to learn about Jesus and trusted Him with your life. As human nature goes, there is a tendency to want to take back control when you are afraid or don’t understand what God is doing. Even so, be encouraged to allow God to stay in control. Let the list below show you how to put your complete faith in Him once again.
How To Trust God Completely
Understand, though, that the thing about trust is, just as with faith, it takes time to develop into deeper places. God wants very much for us to trust and believe Him. This is important because He may not always explain His reason for allowing us to go through difficult situations. He needs us to just trust Him and go with it. So, it goes without saying that we will have to eventually make that decision to just step out on faith and take God on the truth of His Word: He is good and worthy of our trust. Ultimately trust is built over time but it has to start with that first step, and as we see God come through each time our trust in Him will continue to grow more and more.
Even when you are facing uncertainty and fear, practice and increase your faith. If you must start with baby steps, it’s ok. Watch God move on your behalf. The more you turn over to Him and He moves in your situation, the more your confidence will grow in your Savior who is on your side. Let’s get to ways to help us trust God completely:
1. Know God deeply.
What does it mean to know Him deeply? It means to know Him personally. Know what He loves. Know what He hates. Know His attributes. Know His desires, His miracles, His commandments. Discover what pleases Him. The Scriptures tell us that one of the ways that we please Him is by growing in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1:10. When you know Him completely, you will learn to trust Him completely! How can you learn these things?
2. Get into God’s Word.
The Word will teach you all about your great Creator. It will show you His interaction with men and women in stories shared from history. It will show you the times He delivered others from dark and difficult times. It will also show you how He walked with others and gave them strength through their darkest times. It will give you insight to the things that are important to Him. The Word will show you the things He detests. It will open your eyes to the many attributes He holds. You can learn what He desires from His children, the blessings He offers to them, and so much more.
Knowing His Word and all that He has already done builds confidence in His children. You can see how He parted the Red Sea in Exodus 14, and how He fed the multitudes with five loaves of bread and two fish in John 6:1-15. Time and time again you can read where Jesus healed those with sickness in their bodies and gave deliverance from troubling spirits. He offered compassion and forgiveness freely. His teachings were deep, wise and life-changing.
His Word will show you His love for the outcasts and His boldness to those who thought of themselves as better than others. You will see others who struggled with trust, and also those who believed Jesus could do all things.
Getting into the Word of God will open your eyes to many people who were just like you. They weren’t super humans that never had a doubt. They were flesh and bones, facing trials and hard times too.
David said in Psalm 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Additionally, Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
Let these scriptures remind and encourage you that God made you, and He knows your weaknesses. The emotions you experience are part of your human makeup. Take comfort in realizing that God knows you are human. Emotions have their proper place, and sometimes they can become out of balance from what God desires for you. The beauty of such a scenario is that when worry, doubt or other negative emotions threaten to overtake you, God has the perfect opportunity to help you conquer them!
3. Pray. Be real with God.
As it has already been said, God knows your makeup. Prayer is a time to express your love to God, and to also bare your heart to Him. You don’t need to make attempts to hide your weaknesses when you are talking to the Lord. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight…” Your Savior is already aware of all that you feel deep within your heart. He already knows your strengths, weaknesses, sorrows, fears, and even your trust issues. It isn’t that He needs you to reveal what He already knows, but He wants you to acknowledge and share the very depths of your being to Him.
The more open and honest you allow yourself to be with God, the more you allow Him to share in your needs. Jesus is the safest place you can expose all that is in you. He welcomes and desires your complete honestly. Comfort, peace, help and strength are His to give to you in return. He isn’t waiting for the opportunity to curse you with condemnation. He loves you and wants to be your heavenly Father.
4. Count your blessings.
Take some time to think back over your life. Can you recall the times God was calling to you before you ever knew Him? Do you remember the times in the past when He answered specific prayers for you? What memories do you have of Him when He simply blessed you because He loves you?
Consider your life today. Are your daily needs provided for? Do you have true friends and loving family members who make your life more pleasant? Is there food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back? Is your home supplied with electricity and running water?
There are some in the world who don’t have the things that others take for granted as being a normal part of life. Eliminate complaining from your thoughts and conversations. While you are making the effort to trusting God in all circumstances, know that complaining displeases Him. Turn your grumblings from what you might not have into a thankfulness for the things you do have. You will see God move more on your behalf when your heart expresses gratitude, even during hard times.
5. Serve others.
Open your eyes to the needs of others. Take the focus off of your own worries and help others. Do you know that you will be the answer to someone’s prayers in their time of need? God uses His children in times they don’t even realize. Sometimes it is with just the right word, or a kind gesture, or a helping hand. Additionally, a selfless heart that touches the lives of others will also be touched. God may answer your prayer through the actions of a friend or loved one, just as you make yourself available for His purpose too.
Focusing on helping others is also refreshing to you. When you take the time to bless someone, it becomes a blessing for two. Often times when you see the needs of others met, you can be reminded that you can trust God to meet your needs too.
6. Be obedient.
Never allow your trials to tempt you to take matters into your own hands and handle things your own way. Allow God to show you that His Word is true, and that disobedience and sin are not necessary for victory. Continue praying and following the honesty and guidance found in the Word.
7. Surrender.
Completely submit yourself to the will of the Lord. Surrender allows God to lead your life. Knowing that God has the very best for you makes submission an easier command to follow. Your loving Savior doesn’t want to harm you.
God sees how every trial is going to affect you. Your trials will be different from your neighbor’s trials. When you surrender to obedience and allow God to lead you, traits will develop in you that are making you what God wants you to be.
Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” You may not realize it at the time, but He knows what He is doing. Your human thinking may try to convince you otherwise but exercise your trust with complete surrender. Let God open your eyes to what He is doing in your life.
Prayer for strength and courage in difficult times
Take a moment to pray:
“Lord Jesus, I thank You for the opportunity to come to You and share my heart with You. You know my every need, yet desire that I talk to You about my trials, my doubts, my fears, and even my struggle with completely trusting You during those times.
I thank You for your lovingkindness to me. Thank You that Your love for me is pure and genuine, with a desire to develop my life into the best life it can be. Help me to withhold my tongue from murmuring while being attentive to what You desire to change and grow in me.
Lord, please help me to completely surrender and obey Your will. Help me to rely on Your wisdom, knowing I will understand better as time passes.
Open the depths of Your Word to me and let me recognize the many miracles performed by Your hands. Remind me that You are still moving and doing miracles today. Encourage my heart as my confidence in You grows. Speak to my heart. Let me feel Your presence as You give me peace during my dark times.
Jesus, I thank You that You are always with me. I thank You that Your strength will bring me through every trial. Continue to increase my faith and decrease my doubts. You are my Savior, Miracle Worker, Deliverer, Healer and more. I thank You for all that You are to me.
I love You, Jesus, and I pray for Your leading in my life every day.
I pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Friend, the Lord loves you and is on your side! Don’t allow the times of discouragement and trials to set you back in your walk with Him. Giving up is the easy choice, with no victories to celebrate.
However, even when your heart is heavy, confused, tired or fearful during the battle, pressing through gives God the opportunity to show Himself strong. His power can be revealed through you, while building your trust for another battle in the future.
You can trust the Lord. He loves you, and He is trustworthy-even during the dark times!
