“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8, NIV)
Have you ever felt like everything in your life was falling to pieces? After spending a lifetime building the perfect home, family, and career, it suddenly falls apart. For me, it was when I moved and left my job of 21 years. Although I found a new job quickly, it soon became a toxic environment. My coworker was competitive and confrontational. I began dreading going to work. She lied and accused me of things I hadn’t done. And my boss believed her. Then, I got into a car accident because I was upset and distracted. My life and body were broken and falling to pieces.
But during my recovery, I stopped trying to figure out what to do and started asking God to show me. As the weeks turned to months, God gave me small steps. Many had less to do with my future job and more with growing closer to Him. And as I took each one, my trust grew. I saw God putting my life back together, one piece at a time. And with each piece, I found more hope and peace. I eventually left the job and found something better. In fact, my new job provided less stress and more time for writing and walking in God’s plan.
We must remember God has good plans for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) When it feels like life is falling to pieces, we can trust God to perfectly put the pieces into place. The definition of trust is choosing to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone else. Thus, trust has nothing to do with us. Rather, it has everything to do with whom we are trusting. “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8, NIV)
- Trust God, not our circumstances.
Good circumstances do not provide security. They are here today and gone tomorrow. But even though circumstances change, God never does. He is infinite (Isaiah 40:28), all-powerful (Psalm 147:5,) all-wise (Romans 11:33), and all-loving. ((Psalm 145:8)
Additionally, the Bible states, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28, NIV) So when we trust God’s goodness and good intentions for us rather than our circumstances, we will have peace. We will know that even though life doesn’t feel good right now, God will work everything out for our good.
- Trust God, not our human reasoning or understanding.
The Bible tells us God knows things we can’t understand. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV) But we can choose to trust God, even when we don’t understand. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)
- Trust God, not your abilities and strength.
It’s human nature to attempt to fix everything in our strength and then run to God when it doesn’t work out. But our strength and abilities are limited. That’s why the bible states, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8, NKJV)
God, however, is all-powerful. So, we can choose to rely on God instead of our strength and abilities because “but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26, NIV)
- Trust God, not our feelings.
Feelings are fickle and unreliable. But God’s truth is faithful and unchangeable. When we focus on God rather than our feelings, He will give us peace. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)
All our choices to trust God begin by talking personally with Him through prayer. We can tell Him our fears, feelings, and frustrations and ask for forgiveness relying on our strength instead of trusting Him. To build our trust, we can praise Him for past provisions. Finally, we can seek His strength and support, knowing He will perfectly put our pieces into place.
Dear Heavenly Father, please help me choose to trust You when life feels like it’s falling to pieces. Help me remember that only You can put the pieces into the perfect place and make my life whole again. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For further study:
Bible Verses About Trusting God
