Can We Trust God?

Can we trust God? The answer is a very definite “Yes”! But then the answer is also, “No”. It really depends on what one is trusting God for. We can trust God with 100% confidence if we trust Him for the right things. Conversely, trusting God for the wrong things is a recipe for faith-shaking disappointment.

God cannot lie. He will keep His promises. If you are believing a biblical promise, then you can trust God to keep that promise. When God promises to never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) then we can be secure in the knowledge that He will always be there.

There are a couple of things to be aware of though. First of all, we need to know who the promise was made to. If the promise was made to a specific person or group, then it does not apply to everyone. An example is when God promises to give Israel all of the land that they would walk on (Deuteronomy 11:24). I’ve heard numerous Christians use this verse to claim various things. This promise is not for us.

We also need to be aware of any conditions to the promise. Some promises are unconditional (Genesis 9:11, Romans 6:23), but many have conditions attached. We cannot claim a conditional promise unless we have met the conditions. God promises to forgive our sins but I John 1:9 tells us the condition is confession. Elsewhere, God promises to give us rest, but we must come to Him and yoke ourselves to Him (Matthew 11:28-29).

Sometimes Christians “trust” God for something He hasn’t promised. They ask for, or demand, something and believe God is obligated to give them what they want as if He were a genie in a bottle. The Bible does not promise us a comfortable life or a promotion at work. God does give individual promises but if you are counting on one of those, make sure you are really hearing from God and not your own wishful thinking.

We can trust God, as long as we are trusting Him to do what He said in the way that he said it.

Father God, help me to understand Your promises so that I can have perfect trust in You!