Trust is Proven in Obedience, Especially When it Costs Us Comfort or Control (words can sound faithful; actions show whether faith is real)

Trusting GOD is about more than using words. It is an active, daily commitment that shapes how we think, how we choose, and how we live. Even while we are saying “I trust GOD,” we will often do the mistrust thing with ease. It is true, trust is revealed through actions—especially when circumstances are uncertain or uncomfortable. Relying on GOD means being dependent on His character and promises, rather than leaning solely on our own understanding. It is choosing obedience over clarity, faith over fear, and surrender over control. When faith is genuine, it moves beyond verbal confession into a lifestyle of dependence on GOD’s Guidance, even when the path forward is unclear.

In my own life’s struggle, trusting ADONAI needs to be an active, routine commitment rather than merely verbal assertion. It involves relying on GOD's ability and Wisdom over one’s own understanding –Proverbs 3:5

In a concise package, it is US choosing well, despite circumstances, and acting in obedience.

NOTE: True trust is shown by resting in the Lord’s sovereignty always, not just in times of comfort.


When we look at living by obedience over understanding, we are making an all-in submission to GOD's Ways even when They do not make sense. Obedience requires us to trust GOD’s Words, knowing that it does not require full explanation. It DOES require faithful surrender.

Often, GOD calls His people to obey before they understand the outcome, the reason, or the timing. This kind of trust sets aside the need for certainty and embraces confidence in GOD’s Wisdom and character. Obedience anchored in trust says yes to GOD even when questions remain, believing that His Ways are higher and His purposes are always good. A steady and firm trust follows GOD’s direction not because it is clear, but because He is faithful.

THIS shouldbe up for CONSIDERATION: Obedience and faith are tightly woven together, so much so that when one of them weakens, the other inevitably struggles. Faith fuels obedience, and obedience strengthens faith. When trust in GOD begins to falter, obedience becomes hesitant or selective. Likewise, when obedience is delayed or withheld, faith gradually erodes. This imbalance is where misfires begin, decisions become driven by fear, convenience, or understanding rather than trust. A healthy, maturing faith expresses itself through steady obedience.

Faith that is in motion, it is not just feeling or saying, "I trust". When our faith is in the gear that is “D”, it is not only showing you and I that our trust has feet, but it also means we are trusting GOD enough to move forward in obedience, not just expressing belief or emotion. Trust is demonstrated through selections and encounters that align with GOD’s Word, even when clarity, comfort, or immediate results are absent. Saying “I trust GOD” carries weight only when it is supported by steps of unseen confidence (wrapped in Spirit Truth). It undoubtedly involves praying instead of panicking, obeying instead of hesitating, and serving instead of withdrawing. Honest surrender shows up in how we respond, not just in what we say. Actionable faith lives out belief daily, proving that hope leads to trust in GOD. All of that turns into a commitment expressed through submissive action.

Choosing confidence in the LORD over our feelings means, we are making a deliberate decision to trust His promises – especially when frustrations and emotions point in the opposite direction. Feelings are powerful, but they are not reliable indicators of Truth!

In periods of pain, disappointment, fear, or disappointment, passions often urge retreat, doubt, or control. Trusting GOD in these moments requires consciously anchoring the heart in what GOD has said rather than how the situation feels. This kind of faith acknowledges emotional pain without allowing it to dictate belief or obedience. By choosing to confide in the LORD GOD, and kick feelings to the curb, trust once again becomes steady and resilient, rooted in GOD’s character and promises rather than fluctuating circumstances.

Do you want to trust the father’s Plan for your life and somehow grow to a "deep level of faith?" I get it. That was a very silly question! Was it really? …still, you must surrender your control; and take a back seat to His Smarts. He’s got a lot of them.

Relinquishing our influence is the willingness to release our need to manage outcomes and place confidence in GOD’s strategy instead. This deep level of faith recognizes that human management is often rooted in fear or self‑reliance rather than trust. Leaning on GOD means surrendering not only our circumstances, but also our expectations, timelines, and preferred outcomes. When we let go of control, we affirm belief that GOD’s Insight and know-how exceed our own interpretation and that His purposes are trustworthy, even when uncertainty remains. Real surrender does not imply inaction; it reflects active dependence on GOD. Are you able to agree with that?

I should not have to mention the struggle that exists with my daily reliance on the plan and provision of my LORD, but there are days… Trusting GOD (for me) is a continual, practical and daily process in various aspects of (MY) life. It would be nice if this was a one-time declaration. However, the day-by-day reliance reflects the reality that trusting GOD is not a single moment of decision, but a continual and realistic way of living. Trust is exercised in my ordinary choices, my repeated prayers, my ongoing obedience, and a persistent surrender across every area of this life He has provided me with. Each day presents new concerns, uncertainties, and opportunities to either rely on (my) self or depend on Him. Actual trust is renewed daily choosing again and again to place confidence in GOD’s faithfulness rather than circumstances or feelings. If I am to do this properly, consistent reliance gets continual make overs from a one‑time declaration into a sustained lifestyle of dependence on GOD ’s Guidance and care. …talk about a challenge. …for instance, Proverbs 3:5-6, emphasizes “…trusting in the Lord with all your heart and not relying on your own understanding…,” which is a key Principle of faith in the Lord.

Scripture calls believers to trust in the Lord with all their heart and to resist leaning solely on their own understanding. This kind of trust is not passive or merely spoken, it is lived out through daily dependence on GOD’s Wisdom and Direction. When we (I) acknowledge Him in every area of life, trust becomes visible through obedience, humility, and a willingness to follow His Derek (Way) even when the way forward is unclear. Sincere faith chooses GOD’s Guidance over self-reliance, resting in the promise that He will faithfully direct our steps. This reflects the hub of Proverbs 3:5–6, where reliance is demonstrated through our surrender and faithful actions rather than words alone.

Imagine the person who trusts in GOD trying to accomplish anything that looks bad. Doing good often involves maintaining integrity and serving others while waiting for Him to act. "Trust in the Lord and do good.” Doing this reveals how inseparable trust is from action. This kind of trust reflects a living faith, one that does not retreat into lifeless talk but expresses itself through respect and persistence. As James 2:17 reminds us, faith that lacks action is dead; likewise, trust that does not move us to do good remains incomplete. Genuine trust is demonstrated when our belief in GOD shapes our conduct, even in seasons of waiting and uncertainty—Psalm 37:3

NOTE: “Stepping into the water”: The Israelites had to step into the Jordan River (flood season) before the LORD GOD would cause it to part (Joshua 3). Undeniable faith means taking the first step of obedience even when the way ahead seems impossible.

I know me, and I can pull up MANY cases when my actions did not trust GOD. Instead, I opted to take the easy and comfortable roads that led me to employ self-dependence and the need to control outcomes. What I really should have done was to abandon that junk!

If I were to relinquish the control I think I have today, I imagine the anxiety that shows up will depart. Trust recognizes that anxiety often stems from trying to control what was never ours to carry. Trusting GOD with our actions means releasing the illusion of control and placing confidence in His sovereignty instead. Rather than striving to secure results through worry or fear, we respond with obedience and hopefully, prayer. 

Here is something we hear from well-wishers. “Just hand it over to GOD.” How does one truly do that? You can’t give them the samesuggestion when it is their turn to walk through the fire.

“Giving it Over” is the name of a song by the Newsboys. I liked it from the first moment I heard the intro. …then the words came. Good stuff!

Giving it [struggle] over is not as simple as anyone on the outside looking in can say. It involves consciously placing worries—finances, health, or future plans—at GOD’s feet through prayer, as instructed in Philippians 4:6-7.

What if you have limited finances and the struggle is real?  Consequently, what if you have a treasure trove of money, but are struggling to trust GOD outside of it? What happens when the world or life hits where the money can’t help?

Handing over situations can/will frequently mean “deliberately placing every worry—finances, health, relationships, and future plans into GOD’s hands—through prayer (…then the actions come).

Scripture does not teach that dependence removes struggle. It does, however, teach us how to respond when struggle is real. When resources are limited and the pressure is heavy, trusting GOD means resisting anxiety and choosing to bring our fears honestly before Him, believing that His Peace [nothing missing, nothing broken tranquility He alone offers] is not dependent on provision alone.

Yet our trust in His capability, timeliness and Word are equally tested when resources are abundant. Having a lot of money can create the illusion of security, making it easy to rely on wealth instead of GOD. When life brings pain, loss, or uncertainty that money cannot fix, true trust is revealed. In both lack and abundance, GOD invites us to release control, refuse nervousness, and rest in His Shalom. Trusting GOD means recognizing that provision is not our ultimate security. His Presence is. 

Trusting GOD is about more than using words. It is choosing commitment over fear by bringing every concern to GOD in appeal and yielding. That looks starkly different with each person. Scripture teaches that trust is not shown by repeating reassurances, but by releasing worry and placing confidence in GOD’s care. When we intentionally turn our fears into prayers and rest in His Company, GOD responds with that assurance that is better than what we can suck out of humans. One of the many things His Spirit does for us is guard our hearts and minds.

How does anyone learn how to “rest in Him?”That is another one of those phrases that you sit back and ask, “How do you keep coming up with those things without a clue of where I am?”

Here is a simple truth — “I am usually in the deep hole of loss as the next. If I am not asking the Ruach of the Lord Jesus to give me what you (the person) need to hear from Him (through a trusted human), I am going to be useless at that moment. Soooo, I am praying and listening, as you and I are talking.”

I like to refence the “Sovereignty of ADONAI” when walking with people. It means trusting that GOD is continually at work, even when His hand is unseen. It is the confidence that GOD is knitting together every (joy and pain) circumstance into His greater purpose. …and …uhm, forget about bending you brain to understand that process. 

This Romans 8:22-30 encouragement chunk of Scripture reminds us that GOD was looking out for me, you and the others, from a looooong time ago.

Do you love Him? Do you think and believe that He is working all things together for good for those who love Him, and the called according to His purpose? Do you really?

That purpose is not yet understood, seen or apparent. We are not strong enough for it yet. We need these situations and scenarios to gain the inner muscular details of the workings of the Spirit of ADONAI to make us ready – even when life feels chaotic, confusing, or unreasonable.

This kind of trust rests not in our circumstances, but in GOD’s unchanging character, believing that His plans are detailed, wiser and more loving than our own. When we surrender our need to understand why, we are free to rest in Who GOD is and trust that He remains sovereign over every detail of our lives. 

It is amazing how much we do not trust GOD’s Son. We say we do though. Words are words. They have meaning, if the definition of them is seen and not only heard.

Trusting GOD means allowing His Word to dictate actions rather than reacting out of fear or our logic at that moment. When I am sitting with people, I sometimes end up asking a question concerning a decision he or she is about to make. The question?  “What does the Scriptures say about that? Make certain it fits contextually, or you are building a box just make GOD fit into your own world.” That often changes the conversation.

When we are making decisions based on Scripture, not emotion, it means we are taking a back seat and allowing GOD’s Word to guide our choices rather than us being driven around by fear, frustration, excitement, or uncertainty.

Emotions are real and powerful, but they fluctuate and cannot serve as a reliable foundation for discernment. Trusting GOD requires securing decisions in Scripture—seeking GOD’s Truth when those pesky feelings cloud judgment or push for reactive responses. When choices are rooted in GOD’s promises and Principles, faith remains steady even when emotions are unstable. This kind of hope yields its feelings to truth, allowing Scripture to shape the direction we are turning towards.

FEAR! When we become afraid—and we do. …at least I do! What we do ENXT will shape a good portion of our future.

Trusting GOD is QUITE A BIT of work. Well… Looky at here at what I found. The self-encourager himself, David, wrote in Psalm 56:3, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You."

As the shepherd boy, king and knuckleheaded individual said and did, trusting GOD is a conscious decision made in the face of fear. We know that we are always in need to choose trust over fear. It is undoubtedly a conscious decision made in the presence of stress and worry, not the absence of them.

Walking by the faith we find recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:7 we get us a little further down the road. Do we not? "We walk by faith, not by sight." This means making choices based on GOD’s promises rather than on present, visible circumstances. When we are walking by the faith the Creator placed in us, it means we are ordering our lives around GOD’s promises rather than what we can immediately see, measure, or manipulate.

NOTE: Faith does not deny reality, but it refuses to be ruled by it.

EXAMPLE: Noah built an ark for a flood he had never seen because he trusted GOD's warning (Genesis 6:22)

EXAMPLE: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego actively defied the king’s decree to worship an idol, trusting GOD to save them, but declaring they would trust Him EVEN IF He did not (Daniel 3)

EXAMPLE: The bleeding woman took the physical action of pushing through a crowd to touch Yeshua’s' tzit-tzit (corner/fringes) of His garment, believing it would heal her (Mark 5:25-34).

NOTE: Per Numbers 15:37–41, tzit-tzit are visual reminders to remember and obey GOD’s Commandments and not follow our own way.

EXAMPLE: Yeshua in Gethsemane explicitly showed that trusting His Father meant acting according to His will, not His our own—"…not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42)

CHOKING POINT for MANY of US: Surrendering to GOD’s will is one of the clearest expressions of relying on His Word. In Luke 22:42, Yeshua demonstrates that trusting GOD does not mean denying pain or difficulty but choosing obedience even when the way forward is costly. Would you say THIS is the (our) willingness to lay our desires before Him and submit to His will above our own? This kind of belief says, “Not my will, but Yours,” even when the outcome is uncertain. It is a place of humility that releases control and believes that the Father’s Plan is ultimately good, no matter <gulp> the personal sacrifice required.

QUESTION posing as a STATEMENT: We DO believe this… …right?

I KNOW this is speaking to ME!  I am not AT ALL pleased to share or believe the FACTS of that “question that is posing as a statement.” My face and sometimes faith have a picture plastered net to it as an EXAMPLE of what NOT to do.

NOTE: Life is tough! Living a spiritually strong and faith-filled one is EVEN MORE CHALLENGING and DIFFICULT!

Scripture makes clear that faith which remains only spoken is incomplete. In the Book of James, chapter 2:17 teaches that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” In the same way, trusting GOD cannot be reduced to verbal confession alone. Genuine trust is demonstrated through obedience, perseverance, and decisions that reflect confidence in God’s character and promises. When trust is genuine, it moves beyond intention and emotion into action. This resembles us choosing GOD’s Ways even when they are difficult or unclear. Trust that does not shape behavior remains incomplete, but trust that acts become living faith.

Oh, my goodness…! Keeping it moving (persevering) is always easier said than done. Remaining faithful in obedience when efforts feel ignored or wasted is a TOUGH ask sometimes. …not all of the time, but there are days <eek!>. Believing that GOD sees every act of faithfulness, sometimes keeps me focused.  Trusting GOD through persistence requires resisting discouragement and exhaustion, holding onto the assurance that obedience has purpose beyond what we can immediately see. When this level of faithfulness id whole and real, you will find me, yourself and the others continuing to sow good, confident that God brings the harvest in His perfect time, not ours.

You and I MUST keep doing good, even when it feels like your efforts are ignored or wasted. –Galatians 6:9