Trust In The Lord: It’s Easier Said Than Done
If I had a series of posts called Things That Are Easier Said Than Done, this would be my first in that series. I don’t know about you, but I have encouraged people to “trust in the Lord” more times than I can count. It’s never meant as an empty platitude or way to brush someone off, but I fear that is how some may receive it. When we’re in the thick of fear, worry, or struggle, we can easily push back with, “That’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one going through this.” I’ve responded that way many times, but can I say something really inconvenient right now? Telling you to trust in the Lord is biblical, and Christians are expected to do just that.
The Bible Literally Says So
I have a few favorite verses, and among them is Proverbs 3:5-6. I bet you could recite these in your sleep.
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
I lost nearly all my friends when I was saved, some of my familial relationships were irreparably damaged, and my career suddenly didn’t mesh well with my new faith. Moreover, all this occurred while I planned a wedding in the uncomfortable span of eight weeks. Verses like those I shared above were lifesavers!
I didn’t understand what God was doing in my life, and I know it made no worldly sense to me or anyone else around me. But I continued to obey His commands, follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, and trust that God knew better than I did. As a fiercely independent woman and world-class jerk, that last part was particularly difficult.
New believers are interesting, though, aren’t they? They have so much enthusiasm and excitement. I sure did. I was on fire for the Lord and hungry for His Word. I simply took what I read in the Bible and applied it to my life. Just. Like. That.
As the years have passed, however, the honeymoon phase has ended, and I need reminders to trust Him. I need someone to point to examples of God’s faithfulness in my life and those around me. In other words, somebody needs to slap some sense into me every so often because I can let life, my thoughts, sin, worry, etc. lead me astray.
Christians sometimes roll their eyes at Israel’s faithlessness in the Wilderness, but is it any different when I struggle to trust God in the evening after He demonstrated His trustworthiness that very morning?
Trust In The Lord…Just Do It!
All right. Telling you to “just do it” probably doesn’t help all that much, but maybe I can help nudge you in the right direction. I don’t know your personal circumstance, so I can’t address your life specifically. I have, however, encountered story after story from believers about times their faith was tested, and as a result, they struggled to trust in the Lord. For instance:
Infidelity in a Marriage
Domestic Violence
Cancer
Sick/Injured Child
Death
Life-Changing Accident
Job Loss
Eviction
Financial Struggles
Chronic Medical Issues
Depression
Suicide
Loneliness
Rejection
Academic Failure/Challenges
Aw, man! That list could go on forever. What’s my point? Well, I believe we have all faced a time when we didn’t trust God. Not completely. We secretly doubted that He was in our circumstance and decided we could take care of it ourselves.
I don’t have easy answers for those times. Really, the easiest answer is to remind you that the Bible says to trust in the Lord, so just do it. But what if that isn’t enough? I have a few reminders to help you turn back to God when your life is shaky and you want to snatch the reins from Him.
Think On These Things When You Can’t Trust In The Lord
1. Remember what He has done for you.
One of the easiest and most personal ways to trust in the Lord again is to remember what He has already done for you. The mere fact that you are born again because of Christ’s death and resurrection should be enough. I love thinking back on the day of my salvation. It was an unlikely event according to most people who knew me then, but God hadn’t counted me out. He had a plan for me, and He finally called me to Him when I was twenty-six years old…and a broken mess of a woman.
What has God done for you? Only you can answer that, but I’m sure you will be able to think of many different ways God has provided for you and proven Himself to be trustworthy. What has He done in your life that made sense only when you looked back with 20/20 vision and could see the Lord had been with you through it all?
If you struggle with completing this activity, then keep a journal to record when God has answered prayers, kept His promises from the Bible, and shown you His trustworthiness.
2. Notice what God has done for others.
Just as you should take note of all that the Lord does for you, observe others around you. We don’t need to personally experience every time God comes through for someone to understand what He has done and appreciate it.
God is present and working in lives all around you. Don’t miss it.
3. The Lord’s timetable is not yours.
When God doesn’t appear to move at the speed we prefer, we sometimes find it difficult to trust Him, don’t we? My husband and I were tested in this way when we moved out of state to our current church. Everything happened quickly, and we needed to sell our home as soon as possible. But homes in our small town weren’t moving fast.
We were packing our life up while resigning ourselves to leaving behind a home that would still be on the market when we drove away. I began to wonder, to my shame, if the Lord was trustworthy. Why send us to a new ministry just to financially destroy us?
Well, spoiler alert… A cash offer with no contingencies came in just two weeks before our move. Ultimately, we closed on the sale of our house and moved into the parsonage on the same day.
My timing would have been comfortable, but God’s timing was perfect. His provision and when it happened gives me an opportunity to brag about my God and how He provided and proved, yet again, that I can trust in the Lord!
4. Trustworthy doesn’t mean you’ll want what He gives you.
What if God hadn’t worked out my family’s move the way He did? What if we struggled making ends meet and dealt with managing a house on the market across state lines? Would that mean I can’t trust in the Lord?
It’s a lot easier to trust God when we get what we want, but He isn’t our Divine Butler who exists to meet our demands. He knows best, has eternal purposes and plans, and we don’t always want the best things even if they seem pretty great to us.
For instance, I wanted to go to graduate school to study school psychology. I had a 4.0 grade point average, assisted in labs in the psychology department, and I was on good terms with the staff. Everyone encouraged me to only apply to the one school because I would obviously be accepted. I wasn’t.
This rejection resulted in a year between college and graduate school being spent saving money and getting practical experience. I also ended up changing my area of study to school social work and attending a different school than I originally planned.
I met my husband during my first year of graduate school.
My devastating experience led me to my husband, five wonderful children, and salvation. You see, it was my husband who ultimately pointed me to Christ. Was God untrustworthy when He dashed my dreams? Not at all! He knew better and had bigger plans than I did for my life.
He is so good, and I’ve learned over and over again that I can trust in the Lord. We all can.
5. Fear is not of the Lord.
When we don’t trust in the Lord, it’s often because we are afraid. We won’t give over control because we are afraid to trust God with the details of our lives. He is trustworthy enough for our salvation, but He can’t see us through a bad medical diagnosis or finding a reliable car.
I don’t know any Christian who would say it out loud, but that kind of fear says, “God isn’t big enough for this.” Maybe we even think He doesn’t love us enough to be there for us beyond saving us.
As always, it’s easier said than done, but don’t allow fear to take hold of your life. Fear isn’t from the Lord.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
1 John 4:18
“I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 34:4
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 (ESV)
6. Look to Bible examples of trusting God.
We can’t talk about our need to trust in the Lord without turning to His Holy Word. We have numerous examples of people trusting in God and the blessings that follow their faithful trust. I have only selected a few instances from the Bible, but you can find many more examples on your own.
Noah
Noah (Genesis 6-9) received instructions to build an ark, and who would have blamed him for refusing to obey? There was no indication he would need it, and no one outside of his family was going to understand. But he trusted God, and God saved Noah and his family from worldwide destruction.
Abraham
Abraham didn’t always trust God as well as he could have. (Ahem. Hagar. Ahem.)
However, he trusted God in some incredible circumstances. For example, God told Abraham to leave his home and God would show him where he’d move to…later (Genesis 12). I’m a woman in need of specific plans. This would hurt! Abraham trusted God, packed up, and left his home.
Later, God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac (Genesis 22). God, in His perfect timing, provided a substitutionary sacrifice, but Abraham was prepared to follow through and trust God.
Mary
The young virgin received word from the angel Gabriel (Luke 1) that she was pregnant and would give birth to Jesus. The Bible doesn’t record her panic and negotiations. Rather, she accepted God’s plan willingly and with great humility.
Paul
If ever there were a man who could make a case to quit his job, it would be the Apostle Paul. How many times does a man need to be beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and nearly killed before he can walk away? He never did, though.
Paul was willing to trust in the Lord in every circumstance, injury, threat, near-death experience, and heartbreak. If Paul could trust in his circumstances, can’t we trust in our modern American lives? Nod your head. The answer is “yes.”
God Is Trustworthy
I want to encourage you take time to study God’s character. As you read His Word, it’ll become obvious why God is trustworthy. Below are just five reasons believers have to know they can trust in the Lord, but there are plenty more.
1. He loves us. (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:16)
2. God is omniscient. (Psalm 139:1-4; Psalm 147:5; 1 John 3:20)
3. He doesn’t change. (Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 40:8)
4. He hears our prayers. (Psalm 34:15; 1 John 5:14)
5. God is good to us. (Psalm 145:9; Psalm 34:8)
Final Thought
Some days will be easy to trust God, but no one’s life remains problem-free. In those more difficult times, you might catch yourself pulling away from God and relying on yourself, your schemes, and the world’s wisdom. If so, don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, just repent and course correct.
It’s easy to tell you to trust in the Lord because He loves you and knows best. That doesn’t make it easy to live out, though. If trusting God is a struggle for you, stop everything and meet with Him in prayer. Then, reacquaint yourself with the Lord by reading your Bible. The more you understand Him, the more you’ll know you can trust Him.
Share how the Lord has displayed his trustworthiness in your life. I’d love to hear about it!
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