How To Trust In the Lord During Difficult Times

Trials Can Drain You

It can be hard to trust in the Lord when you can’t see how things will work out. Lately it seems as if my family has been hit with an onslaught of furious trials. When things are complex for an extended amount of time it can leave me feeling drained, weary, and anxious. I know that I’m not alone here as we are living in precarious times. As a matter of fact, I’m sure many are feeling the same way I am right now.

That is why I’m writing this.

It’s absolutely imperative to trust God in times like these.

Don’t worry, I’m preaching to myself here too. How do we convince ourselves to trust when everything seems to be up in the air?

Are You Trusting the Wrong Voice?

When your circumstances seem bleak and there is one trial after another, it can be hard to see the silver lining. You have to squint, strain your eyes, and refocus. Still the light beyond the dark cloud is hard to make out. Difficulties have a way of blinding us to that of the spiritual and how God is at work behind the scenes.

It is in those moments that you aren’t sure if God is really with you. Doubt can creep in and whisper subtle lies. Things like,

“God is mad at you and He’s punishing you.”

“God isn’t with you anymore, He has left the building.”

“He doesn’t care about you and your needs don’t really matter.”

These deadly thoughts don’t build you up. They tear you down. Not only that, but these words directly oppose what we know about the character of God.

Why Doubt Doesn’t Help

When we listen to doubt rather than God’s truth, we will succumb to the voices and that is when we open ourselves up to defeat rather than victory.

The disciples also fell victim to this kind of thinking and they questioned Jesus.

“As Jesus was walking along he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”

John 9:1-3 NLT

We can sometimes think that challenging times come upon us because of what we have done, or what someone close to us has done. That’s not it at all. We are not being punished by God when bad things happen to us.

However, God will allow burdensome and sometimes painful things to occur so that He can ultimately be glorified in the process. That can be a hard concept to grasp. Let me explain…

Trusting vs. Doubting

Abram and Sarai (who would later be called Abraham and Sarah) struggled through years of infertility. Even though Abraham received a promise that they would have a son of their own, doubt about how that promise would unfold kicked in. Key word there…doubt.

Doubt led to them making a horrible choice as husband and wife to go before the Lord and devise plans of their own. They believed they needed to “help” the Lord deliver this promise. They were reckless plans that ended up causing rivalry, jealousy, and ultimately heartbreak. Abram and Sarai leaned on their own understanding instead of trusting in the plans of the Lord. That led to them deciding that Abram should sleep with Sarai’s servant named Hagar so that he could have an heir through her.

Had they waited on the Lord, they would have seen how God not only fulfilled His promise, but He did it in a way that He would be glorified. That way, everyone around would KNOW that this child was a gift from God. When God told both Abraham and Sarah that He would do this, they both laughed to themselves. It was inconceivable to them that the Lord could do the impossible. Even laughable. But even though Abraham and Sarah doubted, God blessed them with a pregnancy at a ripe old age and they did have a son named Isaac.

God does things in His own timing. More often than not that timing creates a desire for us to be on our knees about the situation. We plead throughout the process and when that prayer is answered, overwhelming joy is ours.

There IS a Purpose

Later on in life I believe that Abraham learned his lesson about doubting instead of trusting in the Lord. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his own son at the top of Mount Moriah, Abraham was willing and obedient. He no longer doubted.

How hard would it be to internalize all that would be unfolding as He hiked the hill with his son? It turned out to be the ultimate test. Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his own son, God stepped in, intervened, and provided a ram instead.

The anguish of even contemplating the sacrifice of his own child was turned into the fulfillment of a promise. God continues to be glorified through this Bible Story to this day and this promise to Abraham’s descendants lives on. A seemingly bleak situation was completely turned around.

Remember the Faithfulness of God

Abraham was able to trust in the sovereignty of God even through the unthinkable because of his experience in the past. God showed up for him previously, so there was no reason to think that He wouldn’t show up again. For our God is faithful!

“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”

Deuteronomy 7:9 NLT

The Lord has an attentive ear and is waiting for us to come to Him.  He rewards those who diligently seek Him.  So we have faith that God will not only do what He says but we trust that He will come through for us.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 nlt

Rely on God’s Plans

We can also be tempted to “handle” things ourselves just like Sarah and Abraham did. We get all our ducks in a row and devise plans with the hopes that they will deliver the most promising results. But God doesn’t say to do that. He says, “Trust in me”. We are to bring the situation to His feet and lay it all down before Him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

So you see friend, God is not only capable of turning your situation around but He’s also able to give you a new song. A song of praise instead of lament.

Monuments of Faith

There is something that I do that helps me to trust in God even when every fiber of my being wants to doubt.

I remember.

I remember the countless times He has come through for my family and I. He has NEVER let us down. No, not even once.

Were any of those situations easy to get through? No, not quite. But over time, I have learned that there is no point in worrying when God always shows up.

I have built up monuments of faith in my memory. They are rich milestones stockpiled in my mind of all the times God came through for us. I wrote about a time when it was nearly impossible for my husband and I to trust God during a difficult circumstance. Yet, God came through.

Yes, there have been miracles in my life that leave me breathless and ever so grateful. Why should now be any different? Simply put, they won’t be.

Instead of allowing myself to be overcome by the circumstance, I meditate on the faithfulness of my Lord. That is where my trust grows and builds into impenetrable faith.

I can then trust in the One who remains unseen and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will work it out for my good.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Romans 8:28 NLT