Trusting God when everything is going downhill?

[SilverBigBack]

Good morning all. I hope anyone reading this has an enjoyable and restorative labor day weekend coming up!

If you recognize my username you may also recognize it's been a while!

I fear if I go into context, this post will degenerate into a pity-party. So I'll keep it simple: how do you trust God when your in a bad life situation that you did not create, and things are projected to only worsen?

Thanks all and God bless!

 

[cinder]

Good morning all. I hope anyone reading this has an enjoyable and restorative labor day weekend coming up!

If you recognize my username you may also recognize it's been a while!

I fear if I go into context, this post will degenerate into a pity-party. So I'll keep it simple: how do you trust God when your in a bad life situation that you did not create, and things are projected to only worsen?

Thanks all and God bless!

You keep reminding yourself of all the times things looked bad for your favorite Bible characters but God came through for them. Job in his trials and with his unhelpful friends who started to feel threatened so started saying he must have done something for God to have turned against him like this, even though we know and Job knew he hadn't. Joseph falsely accused and sitting in prison for years, remember how that story ends. Daniel watching his home destroyed and being taken captive by the conquerors. Jermiah's like whole ministry. The early church under presecution, and many of our brothers and sisters around the world under persecution even today.

Sadly the American church has gotten so used to ease and prosperity that we think when life turns difficult it must be something outside of God's will or plan for us. That's not really what the Bible says, we just don't like to talk about those parts of the Bible. 1 Peter might be good reading during this time. And there's a lot of psalms that call on God for rescue and to smite your enemies (yeah that's another part of the Bible we're not too comfortable with but it's in the Bible).

And by all means also ask God for strategies and a clear vision of a way out (or through) all the crap. Nothing wrong with trying to avoid pain and hardship as long as you don't compromise your integrity or character to do so.

So yeah without specifics that's the best I can do. Hope it helps or at least encourages you.

 

[Lynx]

Good morning all. I hope anyone reading this has an enjoyable and restorative labor day weekend coming up!

If you recognize my username you may also recognize it's been a while!

I fear if I go into context, this post will degenerate into a pity-party. So I'll keep it simple: how do you trust God when your in a bad life situation that you did not create, and things are projected to only worsen?

Thanks all and God bless!

Eh... Depends on which side of the hill you're looking at it from.

To wit: What do you stand to lose in the downhill slide? And is it anything you will not lose anyway when you die?

I have found there is very little I worry about anymore because none of it is permanent. Anything anybody has done to wrong me, anything I have lost through bad luck - I'm gonna lose it anyway at the end.

It would only be a deal-breaker if I assume I will live forever. Then all that stuff would matter a lot more. But I ain't.

Mind you, such a viewpoint doesn't improve my situation one whit. But it does give me a much better perspective on it. Tragedy is only tragedy if it costs something you care about, and there is very little that is ultimately a tragedy to lose NOW versus later.

 

[Lynx]

Also, howdy ape. Glad you're still hanging in there.

 

[SilverBigBack]

You keep reminding yourself of all the times things looked bad for your favorite Bible characters but God came through for them. Job in his trials and with his unhelpful friends who started to feel threatened so started saying he must have done something for God to have turned against him like this, even though we know and Job knew he hadn't. Joseph falsely accused and sitting in prison for years, remember how that story ends. Daniel watching his home destroyed and being taken captive by the conquerors. Jermiah's like whole ministry. The early church under presecution, and many of our brothers and sisters around the world under persecution even today.

Sadly the American church has gotten so used to ease and prosperity that we think when life turns difficult it must be something outside of God's will or plan for us. That's not really what the Bible says, we just don't like to talk about those parts of the Bible. 1 Peter might be good reading during this time. And there's a lot of psalms that call on God for rescue and to smite your enemies (yeah that's another part of the Bible we're not too comfortable with but it's in the Bible).

And by all means also ask God for strategies and a clear vision of a way out (or through) all the crap. Nothing wrong with trying to avoid pain and hardship as long as you don't compromise your integrity or character to do so.

So yeah without specifics that's the best I can do. Hope it helps or at least encourages you.

Hello and thanks for your response. It was wise and biblically informed. I also thought of Job and similar figures and really I'm not sure there is much more to be said.

 

[Deuteronomy]

......how do you trust God when your in a bad life situation that you did not create, and things are projected to only worsen?

Hello and welcome back SilverBigBack I'm sorry to hear about the bad life situation that you've found yourself in the midst of right now, but you are definitely looking in the right place for the remedy (because, as a Christian, He alone is your portion and your hope, yes?).

That said, perhaps the place for you to begin would be with rejoicing and thanksgiving because, even though that may sound preposterous (and perhaps impossible) to you right now (especially with regard to the "bad" things that are happening), He has commanded us to do so anyway, and He has certainly given us good reasons to, as well, yes? For instance, here are three of His commands, followed by some of His promises to us (as well as some of the reasons why we should choose to obey His commands too, even in the worst of times),

1 Thessalonians 5​

16 Rejoice always; ​

17 pray without ceasing; ​

18 in ~everything~ give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ​

​

Lamentations 3​

22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,​

For His compassions never fail.​

23 They are new every morning;​

Great is Thy faithfulness.​

24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”​

​

Romans 8​

28 We know that God causes ~all things~ to work together ~for good~ to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.​

So, since our hope is sure (because it's found in Him and in His promises to us), we have every reason to rejoice and be thankful, even in the worst of times (though I am fully aware of how difficult that can be, so why not begin by looking for little things that are easy to rejoice in/thank Him for throughout your day first?). BTW, this practice (of making God a regular part of your life, and eventually, the biggest part of it) is sometimes referred to as, "practicing the presence of God", and is it not simply AMAZING that this is what He, our Creator and the King of the Universe, actually wants from us

Here are a few additional verses/passages that I hope you will find encouraging: Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 103, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 41:10, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 12:7-11.

BTW, have you had a conversation with your pastor about all of this yet? If not, I would recommend doing so forthwith for a number of reasons .. e.g. Proverbs 15:22, Hebrews 13:17, James 5:16.

Praying for you!

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

Romans 8:28/Hebrews 12:7-11​

.

 

[SilverBigBack]

Eh... Depends on which side of the hill you're looking at it from.

To wit: What do you stand to lose in the downhill slide? And is it anything you will not lose anyway when you die?

I have found there is very little I worry about anymore because none of it is permanent. Anything anybody has done to wrong me, anything I have lost through bad luck - I'm gonna lose it anyway at the end.

It would only be a deal-breaker if I assume I will live forever. Then all that stuff would matter a lot more. But I ain't.

Mind you, such a viewpoint doesn't improve my situation one whit. But it does give me a much better perspective on it. Tragedy is only tragedy if it costs something you care about, and there is very little that is ultimately a tragedy to lose NOW versus later.

My friend, it reads as though you are nearing unity with Paul when he wrote of being content in all things, in abundance or starvation. I can only dream and strive for that blessed state of being. I am not there yet, unfortunately. I will keep praying and striving.

I suppose I will in the end lose all the things I am losing now, as you say. What is life but a perpetual drain and loss on the good Give gives us (except knowledge of himself and opportunities to serve others! Things that do have eternal consequences). But I tell you, it is very difficult to go about being the black sheep because of the advanced stage of loss compared to others of your same age. Denied the basic fulfillments of God given desires for reasons I cannot change. And left in a crippled position- no, not materially- due to severe damage in earlier life. But here I am not trying to throw a pity party, I'm sorry. Thank you for your advice, it is good and I will remind myself of that when I despair.

 

[SilverBigBack]

Hello and welcome back SilverBigBack I'm sorry to hear about the bad life situation that you've found yourself in the midst of right now, but you are definitely looking in the right place for the remedy (because, as a Christian, He alone is your portion and your hope, yes?).

That said, perhaps the place for you to begin would be with rejoicing and thanksgiving because, even though that may sound preposterous (and perhaps impossible) to you right now (especially with regard to the "bad" things that are happening), He has commanded us to do so anyway, and He has certainly given us good reasons to, as well, yes? For instance, here are three of His commands, followed by some of His promises to us (as well as some of the reasons why we should choose to obey His commands too, even in the worst of times),

1 Thessalonians 5​

16 Rejoice always; ​

17 pray without ceasing; ​

18 in ~everything~ give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ​

​

Lamentations 3​

22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,​

For His compassions never fail.​

23 They are new every morning;​

Great is Thy faithfulness.​

24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”​

​

Romans 8​

28 We know that God causes ~all things~ to work together ~for good~ to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.​

So, since our hope is sure (because it's found in Him and in His promises to us), we have every reason to rejoice and be thankful, even in the worst of times (though I am fully aware of how difficult that can be, so why not begin by looking for little things that are easy to rejoice in/thank Him for throughout your day first?). BTW, this practice (of making God a regular part of your life, and eventually, the biggest part of it) is sometimes referred to as, "practicing the presence of God", and is it not simply AMAZING that this is what He, our Creator and the King of the Universe, actually wants from us

Here are a few additional verses/passages that I hope you will find encouraging: Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 103, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 41:10, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 12:7-11.

BTW, have you had a conversation with your pastor about all of this yet? If not, I would recommend doing so forthwith for a number of reasons .. e.g. Proverbs 15:22, Hebrews 13:17, James 5:16.

Praying for you!

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

View attachment 295230
Romans 8:28/Hebrews 12:7-11​

.

Sir, I thank you for the great work you went to with this reply, especially with your quotes and references to scripture. Now that is a real ointment on my wounds!

You are right, with Lynx. God, and his steadfast love and goodness, lasts forever. Our painful, mortal lives do not.

Thank you, friend. God bless.

 

[Deuteronomy]

Hello again @SilverBigBack, I thought that I should add a few (additional) Christian quotes for you to consider too, quotes that I hope you will find encouraging and helpful, especially at a time like this, so here you go.

Two words will help you cope when you run low on hope: accept and trust. ~Pastor Chuck Swindoll​

​

Instead of a river, God often gives us a brook, which may be running today and dried up tomorrow. Why? To teach us not to rest in our blessings, but in the Blesser Himself. ~Pastor/theologian Arthur W. Pink​

​

Be obedient, even when you do not know where obedience may lead you. ~Theologian Sinclair Ferguson​

​

The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances. ~Missionary/Author Elisabeth Elliot​

​

This hard place in which you perhaps find yourself is the very place in which God is giving you opportunity to look only to Him, to spend time in prayer, and to learn long-suffering, gentleness, meekness - in short, to learn the depths of the love that Christ Himself has poured out on all of us. ~Missionary/Author Elisabeth Elliot​

​

Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering.... The love of God did not protect His own Son.... He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process. ~Missionary/author Elisabeth Elliot​

Blessings to you in Christ!! (Numbers 6:24-26; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

~Deuteronomy

 

[Karlon]

Good morning all. I hope anyone reading this has an enjoyable and restorative labor day weekend coming up!

If you recognize my username you may also recognize it's been a while!

I fear if I go into context, this post will degenerate into a pity-party. So I'll keep it simple: how do you trust God when your in a bad life situation that you did not create, and things are projected to only worsen?

Thanks all and God bless!

memorize James chapter 1 verses 1 thru 4.

 

[Snackersmom]

Good morning all. I hope anyone reading this has an enjoyable and restorative labor day weekend coming up!

If you recognize my username you may also recognize it's been a while!

I fear if I go into context, this post will degenerate into a pity-party. So I'll keep it simple: how do you trust God when your in a bad life situation that you did not create, and things are projected to only worsen?

Thanks all and God bless!

Hi big silver, welcome back! I wish it was under better circumstances .

I feel that others have already answered well. But I did want to share something from personal experience.

I find that often my perception of the future is a lot darker than it turns out to be. Like, if I had been told as a 20-year-old what would be happening in my life over the next 2 decades, I probably would have asked God to just end it all right then and there. Even just the knowledge that I would one day find myself single, childless, and staring down menopause would have been enough to throw 20-year-old me into a deep depression.

Yet.... here I am. And I'm OK. God is still good and life is still life-ing. And I know that ever trial I've been through has given me a lot of understanding and ultimately made me a lot more useful in ministry.

It's kinda like waiting to get your ticket to life. You have this idea that you'll be getting a ticket to Paris because that's where you want to go. Then when the ticket arrives it says "Backwater, USA". And at first you're kinda horrified and assume there must be a mistake because that's not where you want to go. But once you get there you kinda settle in and realize it's not so bad. Sure, there will be challenges. Like the questionable water supply and the rogue animal control officer that keeps trapping your cat. But you also learn to find beauty and purpose where God has placed you.

But for real, I'm sorry for what you are going through. I know you don't want a pity party but please do allow space for your feelings. God does... He keeps track of our wanderings and saves our tears in His bottle.

Also keep in mind, you've gotten a bad report but the story isn't over. You might still find true love. You might not end up in as bad a situation as you suppose. God might have really cool things in store for you that would not be possible if life had gone the way you hoped.

The thing I remember most about you is that your threads were always deep and thought-provoking. Assuming that aspect is preserved, perhaps you have a future as a writer or motivational speaker. Who knows..... God does. And He always knows what He is doing, even when it seems like He is leading us off a cliff.

Philippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want"

The next verse is the famous "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me". It's often taken out of context to imply that God will help us achieve our personal goals. But really that passage is talking about christ giving us the strength to endure whatever is set before us.

I know you can do it, with His help

 

[Suze]

My friend, it reads as though you are nearing unity with Paul when he wrote of being content in all things, in abundance or starvation. I can only dream and strive for that blessed state of being. I am not there yet, unfortunately. I will keep praying and striving.

I suppose I will in the end lose all the things I am losing now, as you say. What is life but a perpetual drain and loss on the good Give gives us (except knowledge of himself and opportunities to serve others! Things that do have eternal consequences). But I tell you, it is very difficult to go about being the black sheep because of the advanced stage of loss compared to others of your same age. Denied the basic fulfillments of God given desires for reasons I cannot change. And left in a crippled position- no, not materially- due to severe damage in earlier life. But here I am not trying to throw a pity party, I'm sorry. Thank you for your advice, it is good and I will remind myself of that when I despair.

When we suffer in this life , it is a lesson . Sometimes while we r in the midst of the suffering we cannot c what the lesson is , not until we can look back on it do we realise how important it was / is , to suffer . We all need to grow in our faith in and love for our God , suffering helps us in that but , only if we remain faithful to our God in our sufferings .
Like everyone else, I have suffered , in lots of different ways . I've learned that only God has ever taken care of me , supported me , kept me sane and safe , no one else . He has brought me through it all and I'm sure that there is more suffering to come . All I know for sure is , that as long as He is mine and I am His , I'm happy . This life truly is nothing more than a vapour , for all and any of us . God is eternal and He wants us to b eternally with Him so , as long as we stay faithful to Him , He will guide us into His Kingdom and we shall b awestruck by what we will c and hear and do and feel . All our joy will b in Him and with Him and forever . God is truly awesome and also very kind and gentle towards us but we must give him our hearts . Our rewards r beyond anything we can imagine and this life and it's woes won't even b remembered by us . So , rest in His hands , bear your woes , don't loose faith and b patient . Your God is with u every second and He knows your pain and your fears . He will not leave u . Trust Him .

 

[SilverBigBack]

Forgive my disappearance; the days are busy as well as hard, and I was not aware of more replies from you fine people. I want to say that I deeply appreciate it.

 

[SilverBigBack]

The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.

Thank you again for your hard-hitting and based encouragement. That quote in particular struck me.

 

[SilverBigBack]

Hi big silver, welcome back! I wish it was under better circumstances .

I feel that others have already answered well. But I did want to share something from personal experience.

I find that often my perception of the future is a lot darker than it turns out to be. Like, if I had been told as a 20-year-old what would be happening in my life over the next 2 decades, I probably would have asked God to just end it all right then and there. Even just the knowledge that I would one day find myself single, childless, and staring down menopause would have been enough to throw 20-year-old me into a deep depression.

Yet.... here I am. And I'm OK. God is still good and life is still life-ing. And I know that ever trial I've been through has given me a lot of understanding and ultimately made me a lot more useful in ministry.

It's kinda like waiting to get your ticket to life. You have this idea that you'll be getting a ticket to Paris because that's where you want to go. Then when the ticket arrives it says "Backwater, USA". And at first you're kinda horrified and assume there must be a mistake because that's not where you want to go. But once you get there you kinda settle in and realize it's not so bad. Sure, there will be challenges. Like the questionable water supply and the rogue animal control officer that keeps trapping your cat. But you also learn to find beauty and purpose where God has placed you.

But for real, I'm sorry for what you are going through. I know you don't want a pity party but please do allow space for your feelings. God does... He keeps track of our wanderings and saves our tears in His bottle.

Also keep in mind, you've gotten a bad report but the story isn't over. You might still find true love. You might not end up in as bad a situation as you suppose. God might have really cool things in store for you that would not be possible if life had gone the way you hoped.

The thing I remember most about you is that your threads were always deep and thought-provoking. Assuming that aspect is preserved, perhaps you have a future as a writer or motivational speaker. Who knows..... God does. And He always knows what He is doing, even when it seems like He is leading us off a cliff.

Philippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want"

The next verse is the famous "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me". It's often taken out of context to imply that God will help us achieve our personal goals. But really that passage is talking about christ giving us the strength to endure whatever is set before us.

I know you can do it, with His help

Thank you for these words. One thing I cannot say to God is that he does not care; and posts like this one are proof of that.

I want to express more than my gratitude, however. I'm sorry that your dream of getting married and having children did not come to fruition. That is very sad. Many mothers these days did not want their kids, at least not beyond the legal advantages they bring.

But your persistence despite that discouraging circumstance is inspirational. I rejoice that God used you for ministry, that although it was not His will for you to bring souls to his kingdom through a direct family, he still gave you charge to do so with the already born.

When you mentioned the theory about if God told you that you would be single for the next 20 years, when you were 20- how you would just ask him to end your life- that is similar to how I feel.

Without going into too much detail, I am realizing more every day that an incredibly unnatural, tragic, isolated and destructive childhood has been far more damaging and disabling to me than I realized. In some cases, my disfiguration will almost certainly be permanent until God takes me home (o haste the day!)

So to be frank, I feel as though God did come and tell me, "the next 20 years of your life will look like this." And what I "saw" makes me want to vomit and worse.

But you are not alone in your story of disappointment, but trusting. Thank you again for sharing. It's good to know I'm not alone and that in my desperation, God used you and others here, yes even where I'm anonymous, to speak life to me.

Have a blessed day my friend.

 

[SilverBigBack]

When we suffer in this life , it is a lesson . Sometimes while we r in the midst of the suffering we cannot c what the lesson is , not until we can look back on it do we realise how important it was / is , to suffer . We all need to grow in our faith in and love for our God , suffering helps us in that but , only if we remain faithful to our God in our sufferings .
Like everyone else, I have suffered , in lots of different ways . I've learned that only God has ever taken care of me , supported me , kept me sane and safe , no one else . He has brought me through it all and I'm sure that there is more suffering to come . All I know for sure is , that as long as He is mine and I am His , I'm happy . This life truly is nothing more than a vapour , for all and any of us . God is eternal and He wants us to b eternally with Him so , as long as we stay faithful to Him , He will guide us into His Kingdom and we shall b awestruck by what we will c and hear and do and feel . All our joy will b in Him and with Him and forever . God is truly awesome and also very kind and gentle towards us but we must give him our hearts . Our rewards r beyond anything we can imagine and this life and it's woes won't even b remembered by us . So , rest in His hands , bear your woes , don't loose faith and b patient . Your God is with u every second and He knows your pain and your fears . He will not leave u . Trust Him .

Thank you. I am eager to reach the place of which you speak, where I am happy even in suffering, like Paul. I am perhaps more eager to leave this world- but there is work to do and God has given us charge to do it.
I appreciate the encouragement. God bless.

 

[Snackersmom]

Thank you for these words. One thing I cannot say to God is that he does not care; and posts like this one are proof of that.

I want to express more than my gratitude, however. I'm sorry that your dream of getting married and having children did not come to fruition. That is very sad. Many mothers these days did not want their kids, at least not beyond the legal advantages they bring.

But your persistence despite that discouraging circumstance is inspirational. I rejoice that God used you for ministry, that although it was not His will for you to bring souls to his kingdom through a direct family, he still gave you charge to do so with the already born.

When you mentioned the theory about if God told you that you would be single for the next 20 years, when you were 20- how you would just ask him to end your life- that is similar to how I feel.

Without going into too much detail, I am realizing more every day that an incredibly unnatural, tragic, isolated and destructive childhood has been far more damaging and disabling to me than I realized. In some cases, my disfiguration will almost certainly be permanent until God takes me home (o haste the day!)

So to be frank, I feel as though God did come and tell me, "the next 20 years of your life will look like this." And what I "saw" makes me want to vomit and worse.

But you are not alone in your story of disappointment, but trusting. Thank you again for sharing. It's good to know I'm not alone and that in my desperation, God used you and others here, yes even where I'm anonymous, to speak life to me.

Have a blessed day my friend.

Heya Big Silver, thanks for your kind reply! Admittedly it did take me a while to become content with my single state, I was actually really mad at God about it for several years. I made peace with Him over it when I was about 27, and thats when I truly started living. I wouldn't wish those moth-eaten years on anyone, though I know its a common thing to go through. So please know you aren't alone and give yourself some grace! .

I don't want to pry and I know you don't want a pity party, but are you willing to share more about your situation? It sounds like some of the disability you are forseeing is emotional/psychological/spiritual? Forgive me if that is incorrect, but if so then this is actually a good place to talk those things out. Yes, we might get crashed by an insensitive Bible-thumper but they usually stay away from Singles. And if they ooze in here the rest of us will make fun of 'em till they leave.

Anyways.... it's completely up to you, but it can help a lot to talk those things through. And just based on your previous posts, I would rate you with a high probabity of actually being able to work through childhood issues, even bizarre and traumatic ones. Please don't accept emotional disfigurement as a foregone conclusion, you are thoughtful and analytical and if anyone could sort through those things I really think you could, with Jesus's help.

 

[Lynx]

Thank you. I am eager to reach the place of which you speak, where I am happy even in suffering, like Paul. I am perhaps more eager to leave this world- but there is work to do and God has given us charge to do it.
I appreciate the encouragement. God bless.

Ya never know what's over the next hill. Could be home. Could be a gas station where you can fill up so you can make it a few more miles. Could be a few potholes.

Or it could be a donut shop.

But we won't know until we get over the next hill. Curiosity is a large part of what keeps me going.

 

[SoulFaith]

I think I understand something about what you mean by going downhill. I have had my own experience with it and sometimes going downhill can actually be harder than it looks. You can pick up too much speed, lose control of the moped and suddenly find yourself going somewhere you never intended to. Been there, done that.
Going uphill is harder, of course, but it forces you to slow down and concentrate on taking one step at a time. There is less room for unnecessary mistakes when you are focused on simply keeping going. And strangely enough, I often find that I feel better once I am climbing than when everything is rushing downhill.
Maybe some seasons of life are like that. The uphill may be exhausting, but at least you know you are still moving forward. Maybe sometimes trusting God is a little like that too. Not knowing where the road leads, but taking the next step instead of trying to control the whole journey.

 

[OMC]

how do you trust God when your in a bad life situation that you did not create, and things are projected to only worsen?

Scripture never promises that life will feel stable, predictable, or fair,
but it does promise that God is near to the brokenhearted,
sovereign over what you cannot control, and
faithful to sustain you when the future looks like a cliff;
Trusting Him in suffering is refusing to let the pain become your theology,
and the way you do that is by anchoring yourself in what God has revealed rather than what your situation projects.
Psalm 46 says “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” not after trouble, not once things improve, but in trouble, and Romans 8 says that nothing in the present or the future can separate you from His love, which means worsening circumstances cannot cancel His care; so the our task is not to predict outcomes but to cling to the God who already knows them, to pray honestly like the psalmists who said “How long, O Lord,” to obey what they can obey, and to let God carry what they cannot fix — trust is not a feeling, it’s a decision to treat God as more reliable than the storm.