How Can I Trust God During Hard Times?
Faith isn’t proven in ease — it’s forged in the fire of adversity.
You know the right answer: “Trust God.”
But when the diagnosis drops, when the job ends, when the relationship shatters — that answer suddenly feels far away.
You pray… but nothing changes.
You read Scripture… but it feels silent.
You want to trust… but your heart is filled with questions, fear, even frustration.
If you’ve ever felt abandoned in the storm or wondered why God isn’t showing up the way you hoped, you’re not alone. The struggle to trust God during hard times is one every believer faces. But it’s also where some of the deepest, most unshakable faith is formed.
This isn’t about plastering on a smile and pretending everything’s fine. It’s about learning to walk with Jesus in the dark — and discovering He is faithful even there.
🔍 Biblical Foundation: What Does God Say About Trust in Trials?
Scripture never hides the pain of God’s people — but it always highlights His presence in the pain.
1. God invites us to trust — not understand.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
— Proverbs 3:5
Notice the command: trust, not figure it out. During hard times, our instinct is to ask why. But God’s call is to lean into Him, even when it doesn’t make sense.
2. God is near to the brokenhearted.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
— Psalm 34:18
Your pain does not push God away. It pulls Him close. He’s not waiting for you to “get it together” before He comforts you — He’s already with you in the mess.
3. Jesus understands suffering.
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…”
— Isaiah 53:3
Jesus doesn’t just sympathize with pain — He lived it. Betrayal, loss, physical suffering, loneliness — He knows it all. You’re not crying alone. The Savior cries with you.
4. Trials produce deeper faith.
“The testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
— James 1:3
God isn’t trying to break your faith in hardship — He’s refining it. Like gold purified by fire, your faith becomes stronger, more beautiful, and more real in the heat of adversity.
🛠️ Practical Guidance: How to Trust God When Life Hurts
Trusting God doesn’t mean pretending everything’s okay. It means choosing Him even when it’s not. Here’s how to start:
1. Be brutally honest with God.
You don’t have to sanitize your prayers. Cry out like David in the Psalms:
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1)
God can handle your honesty. In fact, He welcomes it. Trust starts with real relationship, and real relationship starts with honesty.
2. Preach truth to your heart daily.
Feelings are real — but not always true. In hard times, your emotions will scream that God has abandoned you. But His Word says otherwise.
Make it a habit to speak verses like these over your heart:
- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
- “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
- “All things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28)
Write them on sticky notes. Make them your phone background. Repeat them out loud.
3. Remember past faithfulness.
Think back: when else was life hard? And how did God show up?
Keep a journal of answered prayers and past provision. When you can’t see His hand now, remind your soul how He moved before.
4. Surround yourself with godly voices.
In isolation, doubts grow louder. Stay connected to other believers who can pray for you, speak truth over you, and remind you you’re not alone.
Join a small group. Text a trusted friend. Let someone else hold up your arms when you can’t.
5. Take the next small step.
Trust isn’t a giant leap — it’s often a small step repeated over and over.
- Read one psalm.
- Pray one honest prayer.
- Go on one walk with God.
- Do one act of obedience today.
God doesn’t ask you to have it all figured out — just to keep walking toward Him.
🪞 Heart Work: What’s Blocking Your Trust?
Often, the real barrier to trust isn’t circumstances — it’s what’s happening in our hearts.
1. Do you believe God is good — even when life is not?
Satan’s oldest lie is still the most effective: “Did God really say? Can He really be trusted?”
Ask yourself:
- Do I believe God is only good when life goes my way?
- Am I holding Him hostage to my expectations?
Real trust says: “Even if… I will still follow You.”
2. Are you trying to control what only God can?
Hard times often expose our illusion of control. Surrendering isn’t giving up — it’s giving over what you were never meant to carry.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Let Him be God. You don’t have to fix it all.
3. Are you afraid of what trust might cost?
Sometimes we hold back because we’re scared — that trusting God means more loss, more pain, more unknown.
But what if it means more peace? More intimacy? More strength you didn’t know you had?
God never wastes our surrender. He meets us there.
🌱 Encouragement: You’re Not Alone in This
You are not the first to walk through fire. You are not the first to weep and question. And you are not alone.
Think of:
- Job, who lost everything — yet declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” (Job 13:15)
- Joseph, betrayed and imprisoned — yet God used it to save many lives.
- David, hunted and heartbroken — who wrote some of the most honest, hope-filled psalms in Scripture.
And most of all — think of Jesus, who trusted the Father through the cross, so we could be held through our crosses.
The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in you. He is your Comforter, your Advocate, your Strength.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” (Isaiah 43:2)
📣 Walk Forward in Faith
Trusting God during hard times isn’t about being strong — it’s about knowing where your strength comes from.
You may feel overwhelmed, confused, even angry. That’s okay. Bring it all to Him. And then take one small step of trust.
👉 Pray.
👉 Open His Word.
👉 Ask for help.
👉 Surrender what you can’t carry.
God is not looking for perfect trust — He’s looking for a willing heart. He will meet you in your weakness. He will walk with you through the storm. And He will finish what He started in you.
🙏 Sample Prayer
Father, I don’t understand what You’re doing — but I choose to trust You. Help my unbelief. Remind me of Your love when fear screams louder. Hold me close when I can’t hold on. Grow my faith in the dark, and show me that You are still good. In Jesus’ name, amen.
✍️ Questions for Journaling
- What am I afraid will happen if I fully trust God in this situation?
- How has God shown up for me in the past?
- What truth from Scripture do I need to cling to today?
- What is one thing I need to surrender to God right now?