When you’re feeling down, it can be hard to trust in the power of God. But stories in the Bible like these can inspire you to trust and believe that He will help you through whatever struggles you are facing.
In the book of Ruth, Naomi’s husband dies, leaving her and her two sons with nothing but debts. Ruth’s older son was killed in a war, and now she doesn’t have anyone but Naomi left.
But then Ruth meets Boaz, a rich farmer who is also looking for a wife. Together they find hope and healing when they believe that God will provide for them. He does so by helping Ruth become pregnant with a son named Obed—who becomes the grandfather of King David!
In another story from the Old Testament, Abraham trusts God when he is asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac on Mount Moriah. The story goes that Abraham was told by God to take his son up onto the mountain and kill him as an offering to Him.
Abraham sets out on his journey with Isaac, but before he can complete his task, an angel stops him and tells him not to go through with it because Isaac will live on for many years (Genesis 22:11-14). In this treatise, you’ll read about biblical examples of not trusting God, and what does the bible say about trusting God.
Stories In The Bible About Trusting God
Trust is an important part of any relationship, whether it’s a romantic relationship, friendship, or family. And this is certainly true when it comes to our relationship with God. Trusting in God can be hard at times and we have to constantly exercise our faith. We have to seek out opportunities for trust and try every day to find ways to put our trust in God and not ourselves. There are many examples of people in the Bible who had moments where they exercised their faith and trusted God even though it was difficult or scary. Here are just a few:
- Deborah: Trusting God through the demands of life. …
- Zechariah & Elizabeth: Trusting God when a longing is unfulfilled. …
- Isaiah: trusting God through bad news. …
- Woman healed by Jesus: trusting God is taking risks despite the pain. …
- Moses: trusting God when there is no way out.
Noah (Genesis 6:13-22)
Noah was a good man, a righteous man, and a man who walked with God. He was blameless in his generations. He was perfect in his generations. The Bible says that Noah walked with God (Genesis 3:8). This means that he knew what to do because he had been taught by God himself how to live life on earth.
When the world began to get worse and worse as people started doing evil things against each other (Genesis 6:5) God told Noah that there would be an end soon if things didn’t change (Genesis 6:11). So Noah built an ark (a big boat) so they could survive when everything around them died off during this time called the Great Flood.(See Genesis 6:13-16).
Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22)
The story of Abraham and Isaac is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. It tells of a test that God put Abraham through to prove his faith in Him.
The Lord was going to punish Sodom and Gomorrah because they were so evil, but He wanted to find out if there were any righteous people living there. So He told Abraham: “Take your son, Isaac, whom you love so much—yes, take him!—and go to the land where I will show you.” (Genesis 22:2)
Abraham did not know what God would ask him to do with Isaac during their trip into the desert together…but he did trust that whatever happened would be according Abraham’s best interests. And sure enough…the Lord tested his faith by commanding him to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice: “Bind him securely; place him on top of your woodpile where he can be consumed by fire.” But before Abraham could carry out this sad task…God miraculously intervened! Instead of killing their son, He provided animals for them instead (“And when both had sacrificed their offerings…”), and gave them many more blessings besides (Genesis 22).
Moses (Exodus 2 and 14)
Moses was a Hebrew slave, but God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was a leader of people, not a military leader. He was faithful to God despite his lack of experience and training. In fact, Moses’ main qualification for leadership was that he was a servant of God—he served others as an example of what it means to be obedient and faithful in all circumstances (Ephesians 6:5).
The Israelites (Exodus 14 and 15)
One of the most well-known stories in the Bible is about God delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. They had been in bondage for 400 years, but God heard their cries and provided a way for them to escape.
God parted the Red Sea so that they could pass through on dry ground and drowned all of their pursuers. He also provided food and water while they were on their journey through the desert — even though there was no rain or vegetation around at that time!
Joshua (Joshua 6)
As you read about Joshua, think about how his trust in God helped the Israelites win their battle.
In the book of Joshua, we see a leader who is called by God to lead His people into victory after defeat. This man is Joshua, and he was an example of someone who trusted God wholeheartedly and completely. As you read his story, ask yourself: How can I show my trust in God like this?
Gideon (Judges 6-8)
Gideon was called by God to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Gideon was a mighty warrior, but he was afraid of the enemy.
God gave Gideon a plan to defeat the enemy. But Gideon was afraid to tell his family about God’s plan because they would laugh at him and call him crazy.
Gideon told them anyway and they did laugh at him! They mocked him so much that he hid in his house for days without eating or drinking!
Hannah (1 Samuel 1)
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, Hannah, a young woman who was barren, prayed to God that she would have a child. God answered her prayer and blessed her with Samuel. In this passage we can see that God is faithful and He will provide strength, wisdom and comfort when we seek His face in our times of need.
David (1 Samuel 17)
The story of David’s rise to power is one of the greatest stories in the Bible. It shows us that God is faithful and that he can use anyone, even a young shepherd boy who was called to be king. The story also shows how important it is to trust God and not worry about our circumstances.
In his early years as king, David had many challenges and difficulties; but he trusted in the Lord and did his best in all situations. He was a man who had complete faith in God’s ability to take care of him no matter what happened in his life.
Ruth (Ruth 1, 3 and 4)
There are many examples of faithful people who trusted God. Ruth is one such example. She was a foreigner who married a Jewish man, but her husband died and she was left with a child. Her mother-in-law Naomi sent her back to her homeland, but Ruth was determined not to leave Naomi alone in a foreign land. She returned after hearing that God had blessed another woman named Orpah’s family when they had returned home (Ruth 1:1-18).
Ruth’s great faithfulness to Naomi led Boaz and his workers to give them grain for their food supply during the barley harvest (Ruth 2:1-23). This illustrates how God often rewards those who trust him regardless of their background or situation
Esther (Esther 4-5)
Esther was a Jewish woman in Persia during the reign of King Xerxes. She was married to a Jewish man named Mordecai, who was her cousin. Mordecai was a good man and a loyal servant to the king.
When Esther’s uncle, who hated Jews, heard about this, he tricked the king into thinking that all of his subjects were plotting against him. The king ordered all of them killed unless they could find one person who would agree to be their leader and save them from extermination if they were found guilty when accused again in the future.
Mordecai told Esther what had happened and asked her to plead on behalf of his people before their enemies got wind of it and killed them all before she had an opportunity do anything about it herself!
Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11, Luke 10 and John 12)
Mary, Martha and Lazarus were a family in the Bible. Lazarus was sick and died, but Jesus brought him back to life!
Mary and Martha were upset that Jesus didn’t come until Lazarus had died. They thought that if they had just gotten their act together sooner, their brother might still be alive.
But Jesus reminded them that it wasn’t his time yet so they shouldn’t worry about it—and then he used this story as an example of how we should trust God even when things aren’t going our way (or when other people are doing things differently than we would).
Paul, Silas and Timothy (Acts 16, 16 and 17 respectively)
In Acts 16, Paul, Silas and Timothy are traveling to Macedonia when they are arrested for preaching about Jesus. They are beaten and thrown in jail. While in jail, Paul and Silas were praying and singing when an earthquake happened that opened all the doors of their prison. All the prisoners escaped except for Paul and Silas because they were chained to their beds. The jailer was afraid so he begged them to leave before daylight came so he wouldn’t be blamed for letting them escape.
Trusting in God is a big part of being a Christian.
To trust in God is a big part of being a Christian. It means believing that God will take care of you, help you, and give you what you need.
It also means having faith in God’s love for us, his mercy toward us, his power over our lives and the world around us.
And it means having faith in all the other things that God gives us—hope for this life and hope for eternity after death.
Biblical Examples Of Not Trusting God
Do not lose hope if you have ever had doubts. Know that you are not alone. Many biblical women also had doubts about God’s plan. We can gain insight into how God uses adversity to bring us closer to him by reading their accounts of their experiences. Faith like never before is found when we put our trust in God rather than in our own abilities. We’ll look at ten biblical female characters who had a hard time putting their faith in God’s plan.
- Eve
The female listener was persuaded. The tree was lovely, the fruit appetizing, and she desired the knowledge it promised. To put it simply, she ate some of the fruit (Genesis 3:6 NLT).
Me, being a planner, hates uncertainty. I need everything to be neatly recorded in my highly effective planner. It would make me happy to be able to check things off my list as I finish them. I like to feel in charge, and planning helps me do that.
Therefore, I feel my independence ebbing when confronted with unanticipated challenges. When that happens, I start to feel scared inside. Eve caved to her curiosity and looked it up online. Like Eve, I’d like to have the knowledge to figure things out for myself and find solutions to all the “what if” scenarios that pop into my head. What if it turns out to be a failure? However, what if something terrible does occur? Yet putting one’s attention on the unknowable gives dread an upper hand. God wants us to let go of our curiosity and put our faith in His master plan.
- Sarah
After Sarah’s amusing reaction, God asked Abraham, “Why did you laugh?” What prompted her to ask, “Can an old woman like me have a baby?” Can the Lord not handle even the most insurmountable challenges? This time next year, I’ll be back, and Sarah will be holding a baby boy. Genesis 18:13–14.
The unfathomable often prompts me to attempt an explanation. Try to decipher its meaning. I believe God is performing a miracle in my life, but sometimes my own thoughts get in the way.
Sarah was, without a shadow of a doubt, an intelligent woman. There was no way she could have a baby. So why should she put her faith in these three total strangers? Just like Sarah, we find it difficult to put our faith in God’s plan because He is capable of things we cannot fathom. The Bible advises, “Lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Understanding the Truth of that verse can help us release our fears and put our faith in God’s miraculous ability.
- Hagar
When the water ran out, she hid the boy under a bush. After that, she walked away and found a quiet spot to sit about a hundred yards away. With tears streaming down her face, she sobbed, “I don’t want to watch the boy die” (Genesis 21:15-16).
Have you ever been in a jam from which there seemed to be no escape? And where every solution just made things worse? When we dwell on the things we can’t control, we lose hope that anything will change. It’s easy to forget God’s past promises when our current situation seems hopeless.
Hagar went on a desert adventure many years ago. At that time, God gave her a promise. If you trust in me, I will multiply your offspring until there are too many to count (Gen. 16:10). Now it was hard for her to maintain optimism. However much time had passed since Hagar’s first encounter with an angel, God’s promise to her remained unbroken. Christ fulfills all of God’s promises, no matter how many there may be (2 Cor. 1:20). Even in our frailest moments, His confidence in us never wavers.
The Spouse of Job
She asked him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity?” Put out your curse on God and perish. (Job 2:9).
While her husband was suffering from painful boils all over his body, she watched helplessly. The pain he was in was so intense that he scratched himself with shards of ceramic. Nothing hurts more than seeing loved ones go through difficulty. Even more so than Job himself, no one could have understood how his wife felt like.
Despite the impression that Job’s wife displayed callousness in response to her husband’s illness, many of us can empathize with her anguish. When a loved one is suffering from a serious illness, we may feel helpless, afraid, and even angry at God. What she said shows how deeply she was hurt. It bares the emotions we all experience when we give up hope. Our minds are consumed by questions like, “Why would God allow something so terrible to happen?” However, God’s will is accomplished even in the midst of adversity. The Lord praised Job for not having “lost his integrity.” (Job 2:3) Inspiring those we care about to give up hopelessness with such confidence can change their lives.
the wife of Lot (5)
But when Lot’s wife, who was trailing behind him, turned around to look, she became a pillar of salt.
This is from the book of Genesis, verse 26.
In the beginning of our marriage, my husband and I were constantly on the move. There was a pattern that developed each time we moved. I’d probably overanalyze, second-guess, and doubt our choice. I drew an analogy between how unfamiliar the present moment is and how comfortable the past was, rekindling my previous anxiety about the future.
As a result, I find it especially difficult to follow God’s will during periods of transition. Maybe Lot’s wife had similar concerns as she led her family into the unknown. However, the Bible does not explain why Lot’s wife turned around; it only says that she disobeyed God’s command. The whys of things elude us often, but we press on in blind faith, one step at a time. Those who live in the past miss out on God’s future blessings.
In the sixth place, we have Martha
It is recorded that Martha pleaded with Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
(John 11:21).
During the darkest times, it’s tough to see God’s hand at work. Martha recently buried her brother. People had not yet left her house to join the funeral procession. Grief like Martha’s makes us question whether or not there is any silver lining to be found. Yet the Almighty God who rules over us knows what the future holds for us. God can be praised even in the midst of unimaginable suffering. “…it occurred for God’s glory, so that the Son of God might be praised on account of it” (John 11:4b).
The news about their brother was relayed to Jesus by Martha and Mary. His reaction showed self-assurance to those around him. There will be no fatal outcome to Lazarus’ illness” (John 11:4a). All of this was part of God’s master plan. But Jesus was still a ways off, so Martha had no idea. No one had told her that before. The workings of God’s plan are not always in plain sight. Martha recognized Jesus as the Christ, but did she have faith in him? When we hand over the reins of our lives entirely to God, He rewards us with an opportunity to grow in our faith.
- Mary
Upon meeting Jesus, Mary reportedly “fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'”
(John 11:32).
We learn an important truth from the fact that the two sisters’ reactions are so similar. The comments made by Mary and Martha were typical of two women who had recently experienced a great loss. Mary had faith in Jesus to know that He could have prevented Lazarus’ death, but did she believe that God’s silence on this request was intentional on His part?
Unanswered prayers baffle us. It’s common to wonder why God didn’t respond positively to our prayers. Further, why do some prayers go unanswered if God loves us and wants to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11)? Like her sibling, Mary’s faith in her Savior grew stronger as she went through trials. God does not operate the same way that we do. Learning to trust in His goodness for the result requires letting go of the need to understand why things happen.
Number Eight: Miriam
To which the people responded, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Is it not true that He has also communicated through us? And God answered their prayers (Numbers 12:2).
Miriam, Moses’s sister, did not approve of what he had done. To put it another way: he wed an Ethiopian. In her discussion with Aaron, Miriam exposed her typical sister-knows-best attitude. However, pride comes from believing we are right and can keep us from trusting God’s plan.
For Moses to be the one to lead God’s people out of Egypt, God showed him special favor. Miriam and Aaron were also conduits through which God communicated, but when they spoke ill of God’s anointed, God became enraged. “Why, then, did you have no fear when you spoke out against my servant Moses?” Numbers 12:8 Sometimes it’s hard to keep from wondering “why?” when someone else does something. When my pride gets the best of me, I’m grateful that we serve a God who gives us second chances. Taking a cue from Miriam, we should all do our best to adhere to God’s will for our lives.
Placed in the ninth position, Rebekah
Now listen to me, my son. Please follow my instructions to the letter. Bring me two healthy young goats from the herd. I’m going to use them to make something your dad really enjoys. If you want your dying father to bless you and eat some food, you should take it to him (Genesis 27:8-10).
After hearing Isaac’s plan to bless Esau, the oldest son, Rebekah quickly came up with a counter-plan. Rebekah was not going to stand for Jacob being pushed to the back of the line while Esau took the spotlight. Rebekah did not wait for God’s will to be done but instead took matters into her own hands.
We mothers long for our offspring to stand out and be singled out for special treatment. Seeing them ignored hurts, so our maternal instincts kick in and we push them to the front of the line. Often, we try so hard to make other people see them the way we do that we fail to realize that God already does. When our children feel overshadowed, we can rest assured that God has good and perfect plans for them.
Rachel, No. 10
Rachel became envious of Leah after realizing she wasn’t going to be able to contribute to Jacob’s progeny. “Give me children or I’ll die!” she begged Jacob. Genesis 30:1.
Rachel wanted a child badly, but she didn’t go to God; she went to Jacob, her husband. Is it I, instead of God, who has kept the child of your womb hidden from you? (Gen. 30:2). She took charge after he pointed out that he couldn’t give her children, only God could. Don’t we all enjoy having the upper hand?
To a large extent, the insidious influences of control and comparison operate hand in hand to penetrate our minds and souls. Once we see that something is possible, even if it isn’t in God’s plan for us, we will go out of our way to make it so. But today we can be glad in the words of Isaiah 55:8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. No matter how hopeless our situation appears, we can rest assured in this guarantee. If I put my faith in God, He will work out His plans for my life.
What Does The Bible Say About Trusting God
Here are 10 things the Bible says about trusting God:
Proverbs 3:5 -
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
Proverbs 28:26 -
“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”
Philippians 4:19 -
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16 –
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed….
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 -
” for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Matthew 19:26 -
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Romans 8:31 -
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
1 Peter 5:6–7 -
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”