“Steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.” Psalm 32:10

When It’s Hard to Trust

We’re only two weeks into the new year, but the Lord has already been speaking something clearly to me for this year. TRUST. In a number of ways He has been reminding me of how important it is to trust Him. I can’t live by circumstances! I must live by a firm, secure trust in Him. I’ve tried to do this all along our unexpected journey, but God has been speaking to me afresh about it.

To name just a few, these are things that can undermine trust:

  • when we don’t understand
  • when the “pieces” don’t fit
  • when we have more questions than answers
  • when we’re sick, tired, weary
  • when we feel overwhelmed by circumstances
  • when things happen that bring pain to our hearts
  • when we allow our mind to go to the “what ifs”
  • when we feel stretched beyond what we can handle

When I face these things, I have found that I have to “purpose” my heart towards absolute trust in the Lord regardless of any and all situations that come my way. That trust has to be firm, secure, and strong, or else I won’t be able to hold steady in it when things “hit” me.

I have recently felt bombarded by a number of things. It has felt like waves crashing over me, winds buffeting me one direction and then another. The solid rock of trust—because He IS my Rock—has held me firm and secure.

We human beings want answers. Especially in the day and age in which we live, when we have more and more answers to things in life, we want understanding of the things we face. We want to know what is happening, what to expect, what our choices are. But that isn’t always possible. Having understanding/answers won’t always happen. But having trust in the Lord, staying tucked in close to Him, will get us through each and every hard time.

I have a strong belief and conviction that God will bring good from hard times. But that can’t happen if I don’t trust Him. Through my decades of life, that is something that I have repeatedly worked on learning. I must trust God in every situation. As I trust Him, it frees Him to work in my life in ways that only He can…and to “redeem” the hard seasons with good things.

I realize that it’s easier to talk about trusting Him all the time than to actually do it. That’s why I used the word “purpose my heart” towards absolute trust. It’s a choice. It must be a repeated choice. It has to be something we work at, something we strive for. It doesn’t just happen. But it is wonderfully possible. And trusting Him in the hard times helps make the hard times easier to bear.

Lord, we release the burdens from our hearts and into Your capable hands. We can rest secure in Your loving care. Amen.