Trust is fragile. It takes years to build and seconds to shatter. Someone you relied on let you down, lied to you, betrayed your confidence, or broke their promise. Now you’re left picking up the pieces, wondering if you’ll ever trust them again or if you should.
The relationship that felt safe now feels dangerous. You’re guarding your heart, second-guessing their words, and analyzing their every move for signs of deception. Meanwhile, they’re asking for another chance, and you don’t know if giving it would be wisdom or foolishness.
According to research by the American Psychological Association, trust is one of the foundational elements of healthy relationships, but rebuilding it after betrayal requires consistent behavior over time, not just apologies.
These verses reveal that while God calls us to forgive freely, trust must be rebuilt through proven character. Forgiveness is immediate; trust is earned. Your willingness to work toward restoration doesn’t mean you ignore red flags or pretend the betrayal didn’t happen. It means you create space for redemption while protecting yourself wisely.
Bible Verses For Restoring Trust
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.
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2. Psalm 37:3-5 – Trust in the Lord and Do Good
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.
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3. Proverbs 28:26 – Those Who Trust in Themselves Are Fools
Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
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4. 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.
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5. 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.
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6. Proverbs 11:13 – A Trustworthy Person Keeps a Secret
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
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7. 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.
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8. Luke 16:10 – Whoever Can Be Trusted With Very Little
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
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9. Proverbs 20:6 – A Faithful Person Who Can Find?
Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?
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10. Colossians 3:13 – Bear With Each Other and Forgive
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
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11. Psalm 56:3-4 – When I Am Afraid, I Put My Trust in You
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
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12. Proverbs 25:19 – Like a Broken Tooth or a Lame Foot
Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
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13. 1 Corinthians 4:2 – Those Who Have Been Given a Trust Must Prove Faithful
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
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14. Psalm 31:14-15 – I Trust in You, Lord
But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
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15. Matthew 18:21-22 – How Many Times Shall I Forgive?
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
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16. Proverbs 16:20 – Blessed Is the One Who Trusts in the Lord
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
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17. Ephesians 4:25 – Each of You Must Put Off Falsehood
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
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18. 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.
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19. 1 Timothy 3:11 – They Are to Be Women Worthy of Respect
In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
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20. Psalm 146:3 – Do Not Put Your Trust in Princes
Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
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21. James 5:16 – Confess Your Sins to Each Other
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
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22. Proverbs 29:25 – Whoever Trusts in the Lord Is Kept Safe
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
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23. 2 Corinthians 1:12 – We Have Conducted Ourselves With Integrity
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
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24. 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.
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25. Proverbs 12:22 – The Lord Delights in People Who Are Trustworthy
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
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26. Nahum 1:7 – The Lord Cares for Those Who Trust in Him
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
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27. Galatians 6:1 – Restore Him Gently
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
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28. 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.
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29. Titus 2:10 – Show That They Can Be Fully Trusted
And not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
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30. 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.
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31. Proverbs 28:20 – A Faithful Man Will Abound With Blessings
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
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32. Matthew 6:14-15 – If You Forgive Others
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
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33. Psalm 13:5 – I Trust in Your Unfailing Love
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
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34. 1 Corinthians 13:7 – Love Always Trusts
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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35. Psalm 52:8 – I Trust in God’s Unfailing Love
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.
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Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Restoring Trust
Restoring trust is a process, not an event. Scripture makes it clear that while forgiveness should be immediate and unlimited, trust must be rebuilt through consistent, proven character over time.
Luke 16:10 says whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. This means trust is restored incrementally, starting small and growing as faithfulness is demonstrated. You don’t hand someone the keys to your heart immediately after betrayal and hope for the best. You create opportunities for them to prove trustworthiness in small things first.
What’s important to understand is that your willingness to work toward restoration doesn’t require naive trust. Wisdom and discernment are not the opposite of forgiveness. You can forgive someone completely while still protecting yourself from being hurt the same way again.
Proverbs 25:19 warns that relying on the unfaithful in times of trouble is like a broken tooth or a lame foot. Trust that’s been broken requires time, transparency, changed behavior, and often outside accountability before it can be safely rebuilt. God calls you to forgive freely, but trust wisely.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, trust has been broken in a relationship that matters to me, and I don’t know how to move forward. I want to believe this person can change, but I’m afraid of being hurt again. I need Your wisdom to know the difference between forgiveness and foolishness, between grace and naivety.
Help me to forgive fully while protecting myself wisely. Give me discernment to see genuine repentance versus empty promises. Show me when to extend trust again and when to maintain healthy boundaries. Teach me to trust You completely, even when I can’t fully trust people.
If this relationship can be restored, make a way. Give both of us the humility, honesty, and commitment required to rebuild what’s been broken. Help them to prove faithful in small things so trust can grow over time. Give me patience for the process and courage to be vulnerable again when it’s safe.
Protect my heart from becoming hardened or cynical. Help me to trust people appropriately while remembering that You alone are completely trustworthy. Be my refuge when human trust fails.
In Jesus’ Trustworthy Name, Amen.