Can God Be Trusted?

Challenging circumstances don’t have to disturb our inner peace. If we take Jesus’ words seriously, we can accept that trusting in God is the way to respond.

When life takes an unexpected, difficult detour, we might catch ourselves thinking, Can God be trusted?

Can God be trusted when a loved one receives a terminal diagnosis?
Can God be trusted when a natural disaster wipes out our home and material possessions?
Can God be trusted when evil takes an innocent person’s life?
Can God be trusted when we pray and pray and pray over a specific concern, but nothing happens in response to our pleas?

Choosing to trust

“Jesus said, ‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me’” (John 14:1 NLT).

His words assure us that God is indeed trustworthy. They also tell us that trusting Him requires intentional action on our part. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled” implies that we have control over anxiety in our lives. We can choose to let anxious thoughts run rampant or we can choose to trust God instead.

Letting our hearts be troubled yields no benefit. Worry can’t change what’s already happened and it won’t help resolve the current challenge. It does, however, encourage fear to take root. It makes it difficult for us to rest well at night and ties our stomach into knots.

I’ve let my heart be troubled too many times to count, and guess what? Doing so has never made my life easier. So why live like that, right?

We don’t have to let challenging circumstances disturb our inner peace. If we take Jesus’ words seriously, then we can rest assured that trusting in God is the better way to respond.

Why choose to trust?

Here are five good reasons for choosing that better way:

God promises His presence. He is with us no matter what happens in the course of a day. Nothing we face takes Him by surprise. Why, then, should we be afraid or anxious? (Joshua 1:9)
God promises to give us wisdom, and lots of it. When we face circumstances that baffle us, we can ask Him for insight, and He will answer. (James 1:5)
God promises victory. He’s on our side if we belong to Him. Who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)
God promises to turn negative situations into something good. He specializes in transforming the bad into beauty, the sad into splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)
God promises joy. Sorrow may last for a night, He says, but joy comes in the morning. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. (Psalm 30:5)

What difficult detour or challenging circumstances are you facing today? Can God be trusted in the midst of them? The answer is yes.

Take a moment

To thank God for His promises and that they apply to your situation.

Take another moment to bask in the beauty of this song by Chris Tomlin. Don’t let your heart be troubled. God is a good, good Father, and He’s got this.

Know you are loved,

Grace

The news headlines tell us that we’re living in unbelievably chaotic days. My latest devotional books provide biblical hope and encouragement when our minds feel like they’re on overload.

Available wherever Christian books are sold or order your autographed copies here.

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The news headlines tell us that we’re living in unbelievably chaotic days. My latest devotional books provide biblical hope and encouragement when our minds feel like they’re on overload.

Available wherever Christian books are sold or order your autographed copies here.

Buy Now