7 Solid Principles for Trusting God in Difficult Times

I lost both hands and both feet to a rare, fast-moving, and deadly if it’s not diagnosed immediately flesh-eating bacteria. It’s could have been so easy to head south into a negative mindset and convince myself that my world was coming to an end. Becoming a quadruple amputee could have made me throw the biggest pity party known to mankind.

Everyone struggles with their own personal issues.  When you add it all up, life can get pretty ugly, and complicated, and make us want to run for the hills. If that’s not the answer, where do we turn?

As Christians, we should know how to trust God in difficult times.  But shouldn’t we be trusting God in all circumstances? Absolutely, but why is that important? Don’t we have the good times covered on our own, so that we only call on God when we need extra help?  Nope, not at all. If we believe that, we haven’t fully trusted in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. 

God is the Creator of mankind, the universe, and every amazing thing in it.  More importantly, HE LOVES US! He is there for us. He is our Heavenly Father who loves every single one of us, whether you choose to believe it or not.

Let’s first look at some of the promises of God as found in His Word, the Holy Bible, to prove that He is the ONLY choice that you need to make when you’re wondering where to turn when you come to a bump in the road of life. Then, I’ll provide some Bible verses about trusting God in difficult times as resources to help you in the times of your greatest needs.

Where to Turn For Trusting God in Difficult Times

It’s important to understand how much our Creator loves us.   I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you are a parent. Can you imagine offering your only child as the sacrifice to pay for the sins of every person on earth?  Can you imagine if those people hated you? But your love was so great that you gave your child anyway?

I would love to say that I have a heart filled with that kind of Christian love. But I don’t. And I’m willing to guess that you don’t either. But God, our Holy, Heavenly Father does have that kind of love. So if He is willing to give His only begotten Son, so that we can have everlasting life,  it’s pretty safe to say that you should be able to trust the Lord with all your heart, even during the hard times.  The question is, will you?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Do you need some Biblical Comfort to Find Joy & Peace in Life’s Challenges?  Grab your 30 Days of Bible Verses today.⤵️

So we know that God loves us. But is He able to protect us during times of trouble?  Trusting God in hard times takes an understanding of His willingness to help us when we need Him. The next verse in Psalms shows the height and depth of how bad things can get, yet the Lord can still protect us.

As Christians, we should know how to trust God in difficult times.  But shouldn’t we be trusting God in all circumstances? #TrustingGod #GrowYourFaith #WithGodAllThingsArePossible Share on X

Please understand, that even though God CAN protect us, doesn’t mean He will.  Remember,  He is an all-knowing, all-seeing God and He knows what is best for us.  It’s all about His will for our lives. So don’t forget that even when difficult times happen, those events are still all for our good and God’s glory.  Now we might not see the point on this side of Heaven, but it’s the truth.

Psalms 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Roman’s 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.7

Trusting God in All Circumstances? What Does It Mean?

When I think about trusting God, my favorite Scripture, Proverbs 3:5-6 comes to mind, as the best definition.  Trust and faith are integral parts of any relationship with God.  You can find the Biblical definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1.  But let’s look at the dictionary meaning of trust.

Dictionary.com defines trust as reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.  Sure, you can rely on something or someone.  But the Proverbs definition, tells us that we must rely upon all our hearts.  That means our full heart, leaving no room for gaps or doubt.  I love how this article on Christianity.com digs into the Scripture, for the meaning, as well as practical action steps for living out one of my favorite Bible verses about trusting God in difficult times.

Proverbs 3:5-6 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.

The Best Way

The best way to learn about trusting the Lord in difficult times is to go to the promises of God.  God’s Word is loaded with promises that teach us about having faith in God during hard times.  He tells us to not worry, and to pray, and He will give us peace like you can’t imagine. He tells us that He is there with us, in the trenches. And even after the struggle, He will strengthen and calm us. As you dig into the Word of God, start with a great study Bible, (this list has some of the most popular Study Bibles for women.) Then look to these promises.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

But How?

Now let’s dig into the how-tos of trusting God in hard times.  I want to be clear, however.  You need to be trusting God In all circumstances.  This means to trust Him in good times, as well as bad times. 

Unfortunately, most of the time, life as a Christian goes along pretty well, as long as everything is fine and dandy. It’s when you hit that bump in the road that your faith is tested, and you find out what trusting God in difficult times is all about.

This is also the time when the world watches you the closest.  My biggest test came when I became a quadruple amputee after a life-threatening illness, where I spent 3 months in the hospital, 3 weeks of which were spent in a medically induced coma. When tough times happen, it’s easy to go into depression, block out your friends and family, and live off of Magnum© double caramel ice cream bars. You might think that enduring a major life event like that would make me curl up in a ball, stop living my life to its fullest, and convince myself that I no longer had any purpose. 

Instead, I gave all glory to God and his wonderful grace for saving my life, healing my body, and guiding me through my recovery. I refused to let the enemy steal my joy in the Lord. My prayer is that you don’t let him steal your joy either.   

The entire message of One Exceptional Life is, it’s not about the challenge. It’s all about getting up and moving on after you have fallen.  God’s grace was sufficient for the Apostle Paul, and it’s sufficient for you.   God makes us survivors and we need to keep that warrior mindset. Keep a smile on your face,  and keep pushing through like you never fell in the first place.  

Pray

Prayer will get you through the toughest times. I remember waking up in the hospital knowing my limbs had been amputated and all that remained were bandages where my hands and feet had been. The first thing I did was pray, “Lord, I don’t know what my future is going to look like, but I trust You. I’m so scared right now, but I know that You will see my family and me through it all.”

Trusting God in tough times takes prayer and of course, faith that He will do what He says.  God will follow through on His promises.  He is simply waiting for you to trust Him. Why do we try and hold onto our troubles? It seems like a tug-of-war, between us and God.  God’s got this. But if you won’t let go, how can He help? I have a sign in my living room that says, “Faith doesn’t make things easy, it makes them possible.” It references the following Scripture.  Truth, my friend. So pray. He won’t answer your prayer if you don’t ask.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Grow Your Faith

How do you have faith in God in hard times?  Growing your faith is a daily project that can be pretty simple if you let it.  Here is a great checklist of daily activities that can help you. Print it off, hang it on your fridge, and make sure you work up to making each of these activities a daily habit.

The first step in growing your faith is to establish a relationship with Jesus and trust Him with your eternal security.  For an in-depth look at the daily activities that are included in this checklist, visit How to Get Closer to God Spiritually.

Recall His Blessings

If you haven’t already added gratitude journaling into your daily activities, it’s a great time to start.   Making a daily list of the things that you’re thankful for, gives you a place to turn when you’re feeling down in the dumps.  Many of the blessings in your journal are answered prayers.  Grab your free printable gratitude journal here.  It’s a great way to focus on what’s good in your life, as well as provide a great go-to for when you need reminders of answered prayers.  

My personal blessings are too numerous to mention here. But let me give you a couple of examples.  God answered the prayers of my family and friends when the doctors said I had less than a 1% chance of survival. For those doing the math, that’s basically zero, zilch, nada chance of survival.  But God…

Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

God answered the prayer (mentioned earlier,) from my hospital bed. Not only did He heal me, but I am living an exceptional life full of joy.  As a result of my experience, I created this website to share my blessings, in the hopes of encouraging you in whatever your struggle is.

Now, whenever I am feeling overwhelmed and struggling with having faith in God during hard times, I look back to these answered prayers, and so many others in my gratitude journal. I find the confidence that He will get me through the next road bump in my life, and the next and the next.

The best way to learn about trusting the Lord in difficult times is to go to the promises of God.  God's Word is loaded with promises that teach us about having faith in God during hard times. #TrustingGod #PromisesOfGod… Share on X

Where Does God Rank?

God wants to be first in our lives. It’s the first commandment in the Bible.

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Notice the little G in that Scripture. It doesn’t have to be a god in the sense of zeus or buddha. A (little G) god is anything you put before the Lord. It could be your family, your job, or your favorite fun activity. Putting God first in our lives creates the type of relationship with Him, where we don’t have any doubts about trusting God in tough times. Test it out, you’ll see.

Lysa Terkeurst, one of my favorite authors, wrote a great reminder of how to trust God in difficult times looks like, walking in obedience, in this wonderful devotional about David’s reactions to one of his darkest times. 

Walk This Way

Walking in obedience means repenting of the sins in your life.  Remember, God cannot look at sin. It separates mankind from our Creator.  This is why He sent His Son Jesus, to die on the cross.  When Jesus submitted to being nailed to that tree on Calvary Mountain, He shed blood on that cross, covering the sin debt of all mankind.

When you have unrepentant sin in your life, you create a barrier between you and your Heavenly Father. So it’s important to repent often. Most of us ask for forgiveness when we pray, maybe once or twice a day. But you should ask forgiveness as often as you catch yourself sinning. This keeps you close and obedient.

Let Go

You can’t say you trust the Lord, but then hang on to your struggle with both hands. Here’s a tip that I always gave my kids when they were little, if they were scared of something or had a problem. I told them to imagine putting their problem into a box and wrapping it up with a big red bow. Then imagine handing that gift over to Jesus. When you give Jesus your problem, it’s important to let it go and let Him take over.

I recently did this because I struggled with forgiveness. I had a hard time forgiving someone and it had been a burden for a long time. I put that burden into a box. Holy smokes, what a struggle to let it go. It reminded me of the tug-of-war I mentioned earlier. But I gave that burden in its entirety over to the Lord.  Immediately, forgiveness appeared to fully restore our relationship.

Wait For It

Sometimes we have struggles in our lives that seem to last forever. However, it’s unrealistic for us to think that God is going to snap his fingers and it will be all over because we ask. Earlier I mentioned it’s all about what is best for our good and will bring the most glory to God. In other words, God’s will be done.

Most of the time God’s timing does not match what we want for our lives. We grow the most spiritually, during our struggles. Trusting God in difficult times has to become a way of life. Hard times come and go. Staying focused and keeping our faith in the Lord will result in greater blessings and rewards in Heaven.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

What God says…

God never promised us, that life would be easy. Instead, He said that we’re going to have trials. But there’s a point to our struggles.  That point is to grow spiritually into a stronger Christian.  We are to become complete and have a closer relationship with our Lord and Savior.   So when you are thinking about the difficult times in your life, it’s best to change your mindset to one where you see your obstacles as blessings. Because they are.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

James 1:3-4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Trusting God In Difficult Times Bible Verses

Here are a few of my favorite Bible verses about trusting God in hard times. I’m sure you have some of your own. But these Scriptures can give you a great start.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Roman’s 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Trusting God In Hard Times – Quotes

If you’re a fan of quotes, like I am, you’ll love these quotes about keeping your faith during hard times. Whether these quotes are Scriptural or secular, the message is clear.

“If you lose faith, you lose all.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Faith is unseen but felt, faith is strength when we feel we have none, faith is hope when all seems lost.”  – Catherine Pulsifer

“A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.” – James E Faust

“Faith doesn’t always take you out of the problem, Faith takes you through the problem. Faith doesn’t always take away the pain, Faith gives you the ability to handle the pain. Faith doesn’t always take you out of the storm, Faith calms you in the midst of the storm.” – Author Unknown

If you’re ready for a season of growth when it comes to navigating the storms of life and rekindling the joy and peace that God intends for you, I’m excited to support you on your path. A personalized conversation can be a significant step forward in achieving your personal and spiritual goals. 

Schedule a Joyful Living Strategy Call with me to talk about how I can help you with the next steps in your quest for more joy, peace, and greater faith. Click here to schedule a call.

Consider this an opportunity to invest in your spiritual well-being. Let’s connect to help you take significant steps toward a more joyful and peaceful life.

Your Next Step…

Do you have obstacles in your life that you can’t seem to overcome? Introducing…FAITH OVER FEAR: Finding Peace in the Storms of Life

This great printable packet covers all the resources that you need to choose Faith Over Fear. It offers biblical resources for topical studies on faith, fear, and peace in the storms of life, and a lesson on prayer using the ACTS prayer method.  There’s an entire section on gratitude and kindness. Plus you’ll also find some inspiring artwork. 

Also included:

• Resources and Printables to Grow Your Faith and Prayer Life
• Tips and Tools to Grow Your Gratitude 
• Learn How to Show Kindness to Others 

The most important part of trusting God in hard times is to put your challenge into the capable hands of our Heavenly Father. There’s no need to consider life ugly, complicated, and enough to make us want to run for the hills because God is all you’ll ever need to get through any obstacle in your life.

Your Turn

What are your best ideas for keeping your faith in God during hard times? Do you have a favorite trusting God In difficult times Bible verses? Please leave your ideas and favorites in the comments below.