Trust feels impossible when everything is falling apart. You prayed for a breakthrough and got more problems. You asked for healing, and the diagnosis got worse. You trusted God with your relationships, your finances, and your future, and it all feels like it’s crumbling.
The gap between what you hoped would happen and what’s actually happening makes trust feel naive at best and foolish at worst.
Elisabeth Elliot, whose missionary husband was murdered by the tribe they were trying to reach, wrote, “Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.”
She spent years wrestling with why God allowed such tragedy, yet her faith didn’t depend on getting answers. It rested on knowing God’s character remained trustworthy regardless of circumstances she couldn’t understand.
Trials expose whether our trust is in God Himself or in what we want God to do for us. When He doesn’t perform according to our timeline or expectations, do we still trust Him?
That’s where mature faith is forged, not in answered prayers but in unanswered ones where we choose to believe God is good anyway.
Bible Verses About Trust In Trials
1. Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart
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.
New International Version (NIV)
2. James 1:2-4 – Consider It Pure Joy
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
New International Version (NIV)
3. Psalm 56:3 – When I Am Afraid, I Put My Trust in You
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
New International Version (NIV)
4. Romans 8:28 – God Works for the Good
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
New International Version (NIV)
5. Isaiah 26:3 – You Will Keep in Perfect Peace
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
New International Version (NIV)
6. 1 Peter 1:6-7 – You May Have Had to Suffer Grief in All Kinds of Trials
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
New International Version (NIV)
7. Psalm 9:10 – Those Who Know Your Name Trust in You
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
New International Version (NIV)
8. Nahum 1:7 – The Lord Is Good, a Refuge in Times of Trouble
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
New International Version (NIV)
9. Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Blessed Is the One Who Trusts in the Lord
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
New International Version (NIV)
10. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – This Happened That We Might Not Rely on Ourselves
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
New International Version (NIV)
11. Psalm 37:5 – Commit Your Way to the Lord
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.
New International Version (NIV)
12. Isaiah 41:10 – Do Not Fear, for I Am With You
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
New International Version (NIV)
13. 1 Peter 5:6-7 – Cast All Your Anxiety on Him
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.
New International Version (NIV)
14. Psalm 46:1-2 – Therefore We Will Not Fear
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
New International Version (NIV)
15. Job 13:15 – Though He Slay Me, Yet Will I Hope in Him
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.
New International Version (NIV)
16. Philippians 4:6-7 – Do Not Be Anxious About Anything
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
17. Psalm 62:8 – Trust in Him at All Times
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
New International Version (NIV)
18. Romans 5:3-5 – We Also Glory in Our Sufferings
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
New International Version (NIV)
19. Psalm 20:7 – Some Trust in Chariots
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
New International Version (NIV)
20. Isaiah 12:2 – I Will Trust and Not Be Afraid
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
New International Version (NIV)
21. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – We Do Not Lose Heart
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.
New International Version (NIV)
22. Psalm 125:1 – Those Who Trust in the Lord Are Like Mount Zion
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
New International Version (NIV)
23. Hebrews 11:1 – Faith Is Confidence in What We Hope For
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
New International Version (NIV)
24. Psalm 118:8 – It Is Better to Take Refuge in the Lord
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.
New International Version (NIV)
25. James 1:12 – Blessed Is the One Who Perseveres
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
New International Version (NIV)
26. Psalm 32:10 – The Lord’s Unfailing Love Surrounds the One Who Trusts
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
New International Version (NIV)
27. Isaiah 43:2 – When You Pass Through the Waters
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
New International Version (NIV)
28. Psalm 27:13-14 – I Remain Confident of This
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
29. 2 Corinthians 12:9 – My Grace Is Sufficient for You
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
New International Version (NIV)
30. Psalm 55:22 – Cast Your Cares on the Lord
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
New International Version (NIV)
31. Romans 15:13 – May the God of Hope Fill You
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
New International Version (NIV)
32. Psalm 34:8 – Taste and See That the Lord Is Good
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
New International Version (NIV)
33. Habakkuk 3:17-19 – Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.
New International Version (NIV)
34. Psalm 40:4 – Blessed Is the One Who Trusts in the Lord
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
New International Version (NIV)
35. John 16:33 – In This World You Will Have Trouble
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
New International Version (NIV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Trust In Trials
Trusting God in trials doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine or forcing fake positivity when life is brutal. It means choosing to believe that God is good all the time, that He’s working all things for your good, and that His plan is better than yours, even when circumstances scream the opposite.
This kind of trust is forged, not felt. It’s a decision you make repeatedly when your emotions suggest abandoning faith.
Scripture promises that trials test the genuineness of your faith and produce perseverance, character, and hope. But notice God doesn’t promise to remove trials immediately. He promises to be with you through them, to work them for good, and to use them to mature you.
The testing isn’t about whether God can be trusted. It’s about whether you’ll trust Him regardless of what He allows.
The remarkable thing about trusting God in trials is that it produces peace that transcends understanding. Not happiness dependent on circumstances, but deep peace rooted in knowing that the One who holds your life is completely trustworthy, even when you can’t see what He’s doing.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I’m in the middle of trials that make trust feel impossible. My circumstances contradict what I hoped You would do, and I’m struggling to believe You’re good when everything feels like it’s falling apart.
Help me to trust You with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding. Remind me that You work all things for good, that You’re with me in the fire, and that these trials are producing something in me that I couldn’t develop any other way.
Give me faith to believe You when I can’t see, to trust You when it doesn’t make sense, and to rest in Your sovereignty when I want control. Help me to cast my anxiety on You and to find perfect peace by keeping my mind steadfast on You.
When I’m afraid, help me to put my trust in You. When I’m tempted to rely on myself, remind me that You’re my refuge and strength. Let me be like Job, who said, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.”
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.