How can you trust God? It begins with knowing Him. Would we trust a stranger on the street? Probably not, but we would likely trust someone who has proven trustworthy, and God has proven His faithfulness throughout history.
Deuteronomy 7:9 says we are to know that the LORD our God is God, that He is the faithful God, and that He keeps His covenant of love to a thousand generations.
We also see God’s faithfulness in His interactions with people like Noah, Moses, and Mary. God keeps His promises, and there was no greater promise than Jesus. Shadows of the coming Messiah were cast throughout the Old Testament, but in Matthew 2:1-2, this promise came to light and was fulfilled through His Son, Jesus.
The following quotes on trusting God were made by men and women who tasted His goodness, experienced it for themselves, and trusted it for life and death.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who hopes in him” (Psalm 34:8).
1. “Faith is a sounder guide than reason. Reason can only go so far, but faith has no limits.” — Blaise Pascal
2. “For daily, I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises. But I fear nothing, because of the promises of Heaven; for I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God, who reigns everywhere. As the prophet says: ‘Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you.’” — St Patrick, The Confessions of St. Patrick
3. “Men go forth to wonder at the height of mountains, the huge waves of the sea, the broad flow of the ocean, the course of the stars—and forget to wonder at themselves. Beware of despairing about yourself: you are commanded to put your trust in God, and not in yourself.” — St Augustine
4. “When we find ourselves in some grave danger, we must not lose courage but firmly trust in God, for where there is the greatest danger, there is also the greatest help from Him who wants to be called our ‘Help’ in times of peace and in times of tribulation.” — St. Ambrose
5. “Accept the things that happen to thee as good, knowing that without God nothing happens.” — The Didache
1. “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” — Martin Luther
2. “Feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving; My warrant is the Word of God – naught else is worth believing. Though all my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token, there is One greater than my heart whose Word cannot be broken. I’ll trust in God unchanging Word til soul and body sever, for, though all things shall pass away, His Word shall stand forever!” — Martin Luther
3. “It is amazing how much our lack of trust provokes God if we request of him a boon that we do not expect.” — John Calvin
4. “Trust wholly in Christ; rely altogether on His sufferings; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by His righteousness. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation. There must be atonement made for sin according to the righteousness of God. The person to make this atonement must be God and man.” — John Wycliffe
5. Thomas Cranmer made the following quote before burning on March 21, 1556: “First, I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and every article of the Catholic faith, every word and sentence taught by our Saviour Christ, his Apostles, and Prophets, in the Old and New Testament.”
Cranmer went on to say the one thing that troubled his conscience more than any other thing he said or did in life was to write contrary to the truth. “And forasmuch as my hand offended in writing contrary to my heart, therefore my hand shall first be punished. For if I may come to the fire, it shall be first burned…” As the fire approached, Cranmer stretched out his right hand and put it in the flames, holding it there until the fire reached the rest of his body. It’s reported that he never stirred or cried.
1. “Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us.” — Jerry Bridges, Trusting God
2. “Strength of my heart, I need not fail, not mine to fear but to obey, with such a Leader, who could quail? Thou art as Thou wert yesterday. Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee, fulfill Thy purposes through me.” — Amy Carmichael
3. “God is God. Because he is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what he is up to.” — Elisabeth Elliot
4. “God’s plan and His ways of working out His plan are frequently beyond our ability to fathom and understand. We must learn to trust when we don’t understand.” — Jerry Bridges, Trusting God
5. “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” — C.S. Lewis
1. Journal. When we’re able to read how God has proven Himself to be trustworthy in the past, even in the smallest of ways, it gives us strength, hope, and rest in knowing He will be faithful again.
2. Memorize Scripture. When the living Word is deposited into our memory bank, we can access immediate assurance and comfort any time, day or night. Some verses I’ve memorized over the years include Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 112:7, Isaiah 41:10, and Romans 8:28.
3. Study Scripture. Reading the Bible regularly, thinking about it, and memorizing it is beneficial, but studying the living Word adds a depth of richness that will benefit us for a lifetime. When I became a Christ follower at the age of twenty-seven, I knew nothing about the Bible except for the stories learned in Vacation Bible School as a child. I signed up for a local Precept Ministries class, and within a year, I began teaching a women’s Bible class. We don’t have to be a scholar or know where to find the verses. We simply need to desire to learn more about God, and He will honor that desire in ways we never imagined. There are many free studies online, such as, He Reads Truth, She Reads Truth, Proverbs 31 Ministries, and Living by Design Ministries.
1. Heavenly Father, help me to trust in You—Your plans, Your ways, and Your timing—confident of Your goodness and Your desire to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Amen.
2. Lord, help my unbelief. Amen.
3. God, You are faithful whether I feel it, think it, or see it. Help me to cling to Your Word when I doubt, refusing to rely on emotions that can never be trusted. I want to stand like the tree in Jeremiah 17 planted by water, held by strong roots, and never ceases to bear fruit for Your glory. Amen.
4. Lord, may my trust in You be reflected in everything I think, say, and do. Amen.
Further Reading:
35 Quotes to Reassure You of God's Perfect Plans
25 Quotes to Help Us Rediscover the Awe of God's Timing
41 Powerful Quotes about Prayer
Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/mbolina
This article is part of our larger Inspiring Quotes resource meant to encourage and strengthen your faith. Visit our most popular quotes by well known Christians and theologians to find more inspiration. Remember, the Holy Spirit can work through us when we have faith and share it with others! Please pass along any quotes that touch your heart because you never know light you’ll shine on someone else’s dark day!