3 Uplifting Bible Stories about Trusting God in Difficult Times

Inside: Revisit 3 familiar, inspiring Bible stories about trusting God in difficult times. Plus, get 3 new lessons to take you through any circumstance.

If you’re like me and every other Christian, you find trusting God in normal times easy. Having faith and praising Him is a cakewalk when things are going great and all’s right in your world.

Like when you’re killing it at work, when you and your partner are on the same wavelength, or when you feel like you and God are besties.

But trusting God in difficult times can feel next to impossible. When your work colleagues are stabbing you in the back, when your relationship turns toxic, or when it feels like you and God are on the outs.

Yes, trusting God when things take a turn for the worse can feel downright impossible.

But it isn’t.

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A Story of Not Trusting God in Difficult Times

A few years ago, my whole life felt like one giant, difficult mess.

I hated my well-paying job and felt stuck in it. After years of my boyfriend turning everything around on me, I felt more than ever like I was not good enough for him. Plus, even though I was in church every almost Sunday, I was pretty sure God wasn’t hearing my prayers.

I felt unappreciated, unseen, unloved, and unheard. To be honest, I was straight-up miserable in every area of my life.

Maybe you’re struggling in those areas too. Or maybe you’re feeling unworthy, struggling with grief and loss, or wondering if you’re special to God.

For whatever reason, you’re going through a difficult time and your trust in God is slipping.

I got to the point of feeling like I couldn’t do it anymore and almost gave up on trusting God in my difficult time. This was because I didn’t have someone to share stories about trusting God in difficult times with me.

But you do.

So let’s walk through 3 inspiring Bible stories about trusting God in difficult times. Then we’ll learn some lessons from them to make your faith stronger during your season of hardship.

3 Bible Stories About Trusting God In Difficult Times

The Bible is riddled with stories of people who trusted God through difficult times.

Moses, for example. You don’t hear a thing about him having a relationship with God for the 40 years of his exile in Midian (Exodus 2:11-22).

But when God finally called him up for service—and after trying to argue his way out of it—Moses chose to trust God enough to:

Go back to Egypt and face Pharaoh
Be God’s conduit through which He taught Pharaoh 10 plague-filled lessons
Lead several hundred thousand people out of slavery
Allow God to work wonders and miracles through him

Or how about Esther, who was commissioned to save her people from a genocidal maniac? She could have stayed anonymous and comfortable in the palace but she didn’t. Instead, she trusted God enough to:

Give her a clever strategy for approaching the king about her problem
Give her favor with the king when the time came to lay out the problem to him
Work things out with perfect timing
Protect His people from annihilation

And don’t forget Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were exiles in a foreign land and under the authority of godless rulers. Ready for death over dishonoring Him, they trusted God with their very lives.

Plus Ruth trusted God through famine and hardship, and David trusted God through years on the run for his life.

Yup, we have heaps of Bible stories about trusting God in hard times to choose from. But let’s do a brief Bible study of 3 specific stories and see what we can discover from them about learning to trust God.

Bible stories about trusting God in difficult times quote pin

Daniel’s Bible Story about Trusting God in Difficult Times

Daniel was an Israelite exile in Babylon who served the king. He excelled at his duties and got promoted because of it.

Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
Daniel 6:3 (NLT)

Then jealousy reared its ugly head and his colleagues turned into haters. They started looking for Daniel’s dirty laundry so they could destroy him.

But Daniel was faithfully obedient to God and they couldn’t find a thing against him. So, of course, their next step was to cook up a take-down plot.

We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.
Daniel 6:7 (NLT)

Wacky plan, right? But it worked. The king—ever full of himself—signed the decree without question.

Meanwhile, what was Daniel up to?

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
Daniel 6:10 (NLT)

Notice how Daniel didn’t start praying under the cover of night? Nor did he close his windows so nobody could see him praying. Or reduce his time with God to one quick prayer in the early morning before everyone else was up.

Instead, Daniel kept doing what he’d been doing all along—praying and trusting God in this difficult time.

Daniel’s Punishment For Trusting God in Difficult Times

What Daniel’s haters did next isn’t surprising. They reported Daniel to the king who, to his credit, became very upset.

Daniel was, after all, the king’s obvious favorite to whom he planned to give responsibility for his empire. It kinda makes you wonder why he didn’t check with Daniel before signing the stupid decree in the first place. But ego and workplace politics, right?

Still, no matter how upset he was about it, the king had signed an irreversible decree. And Daniel’s haters wasted no time reminding the king of this. So the king—left with no choice—threw Daniel into the lion’s den.

Even as he did it, the king said:

“May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
Daniel 6:16b (NLT)

Like, with no snark whatsoever. We know because the king was so upset that he fasted all night and didn’t sleep a wink.

The following morning before the sun was even a glow on the horizon, the king was back at the lion’s den, checking to see if Daniel made it. And get Daniel’s response when the king called out to him.

Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
Daniel 7:22 (NLT)

God honored his faithfulness and trust in a difficult time, which could have cost Daniel his life.

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The Outcome of Daniel’s Bible Story about Trusting God in Difficult Times

Meanwhile, in a twist of divine justice, the haters got what they deserved. Sadly, their entire families also had to pay for their maliciousness when the king sent out a new mandate.

“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.
Daniel 6:26 (NLT)

Instead of fearing his haters, Daniel trusted God in this difficult time. And because of it, God’s glory was on display throughout the reign of 2 kings of Persia.

Mary’s Bible Story of Trusting God in Hard Times

It’s easy to dismiss Mary as simply Jesus Christ’s saintly mom.

“Of course, she trusted God,” you think. “She was Mary.”

But if you ponder it for a minute, you’ll see her story as one of extreme trust in God during an insanely difficult time.

Life was a lovely dream for Mary—a young virgin girl, betrothed to Joseph, probably planning her wedding. Then, out of nowhere, she turned up pregnant. By the Holy Spirit, no less.

Don’t act like you wouldn’t have been part of the judgy crowd, rolling your eyes and smirking, “Sure, Mary. God got you pregnant and you’re still a virgin. Riiiiiight.”

The neighbors were probably gossiping about her, calling her nasty names behind her back. Heck, maybe even to her face.

And can you imagine her family’s shame? The damage to her reputation? We certainly know where her fiancé Joseph’s head was at.

Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
Matthew 1:19 (NLT)

And who could blame him? God sure didn’t. So He sent Joseph an angelic message with a few instructions regarding the baby and reassurance about Mary’s purity.

Mary’s Attitude of Trust in God during Difficult Times

Meanwhile, time and again, Mary showed trust in God. First, when she got the invitation from God for this divine assignment.

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:38 (NLT)

This is astounding faith. She must have known nobody would believe her, that she’d have to bear the stigma and go it alone if necessary. But she trusted God enough to follow His will, no matter what.

Mary also didn’t decide to feel persecuted and sorry for herself. Instead, on a visit to her cousin Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s mom), Mary continued to show her trust in God during this difficult time.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Luke 1:46-49 (ESV)

Mary trusted God so much that she praised and thanked Him! It was like she didn’t even see the difficulties.

Wow, right? Talk about extreme trust in God during difficult times.

Mary was wholly committed to trusting God despite her difficulties. Then God honored her trust by answering her prayer.

And wouldn’t you know it? Here we are, generations later, calling her blessed.

The Bleeding Woman’s Bible Story about Trusting God in Difficult Times

The gospels of Mattew, Mark, and Luke mention the woman with the issue of blood. I love her story because you can learn so much from it. How special you are to God for one thing, and how to never give up for another.

But today, let’s focus on how this woman trusted God in difficult times.

She bled for 12 years nonstop. Let this fact sink in for a moment. Messy and uncomfortable would barely begin to scratch the surface of what this woman endured for over a decade.

And she wasn’t lying around at home, waiting for a miracle, either.

She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.
Mark 5:26 (NLT)

If you’ve ever had fibroids, endometriosis, or other uterine issues, you can probably imagine the pain this woman went through. Not only was she bleeding nonstop, but she was also likely weak from blood loss.

Plus, menstruating women were seen as unclean (Leviticus 15:19-30). So most likely, her social life was nonexistent. It probably consisted mainly of her close female relatives, if she had any.

This poor woman must have prayed without end for healing, for relief. So by the time she had endured 12 years of suffering, who would have blamed her if she’d given up hope?

The Healing Power of One Woman’s Trust in God through Difficult Times

But then she heard about miracle-working Jesus’s visit to her town. And guess what this faith-filled, determined woman did next?

She gathered up her trust in God and dragged her weak, bleeding body through the pushing, shoving crowd. Why?

For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
Mark 5:28 (NLT)

Notice how she didn’t think, “If I can just touch Him, maybe I’ll get healed.”

First, she took full responsibility for positioning herself for her miracle.

Second, she wasn’t even trying to touch Jesus Himself. She was after the barest touch of His clothes—His clothes, for goodness sake!

And third, she knew for sure that a touch from him would heal her.

Because, you see, her desperate situation led her to desperate trust in God.

So she took a chance on touching a holy man in her unclean state, knowing there’d be hell to pay if she was caught. And, of course, Jesus caught her and called her out.

Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done.
Mark 5:33 (NLT)

But instead of rebuking her as she feared, Jesus honored her faith.

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Mark 5:34 (NLT)

And just like that—because of her radical trust in God through her 12 difficult years of suffering—this faithful got her health back.

3 Critical Lessons from Bible Stories about Trusting God in Difficult Times

These Bible stories about trusting God in difficult times aren’t just there to inspire you for a moment.

I know you want to be a woman whose confidence in God remains firm no matter the circumstance. This is why you need to learn some vital lessons from these stories, plus how to apply them to your life.

Fair warning: these aren’t all feel-good lessons. But when you accept their truth, you’ll find trusting God in difficult times way easier.

1. God won’t magic away your difficult times.

Did you notice how God didn’t change any of these people’s circumstances?

Daniel still had to stay all night in the lions’ den. Mary still had to go through 9 months of pregnancy while her neighbors whispered about her. And the bleeding woman sought healing but still bled for 12 years.

So when you pray to God during your difficult times, don’t be surprised if your circumstances stay the same.

But do as these 3 people did: Honor Him by maintaining a posture of trust in God despite your difficulties.

2. God’s timing is unlikely to be your timing.

The night in the lions’ den was probably the longest one of Daniel’s life. Those months and years of being gossiped about probably sometimes felt like an eternity to Mary. Not to mention those 12 straight years of bleeding for the woman who needed healing.

Meanwhile, most of us can’t stand 5 minutes of being gossiped about or being uncomfortable. Twelve years? No, thank you!

I’m willing to bet none of these people were comfortable during their difficult times. And yet, with only abiding faith to ensure the outcome, they decided their best option was trusting God through their difficult times…no matter how long they lasted.

3. God won’t abandon you in difficult times.

An angel shut the lions’ mouths for Daniel. And, this being Daniel, he most likely spent the entire night in prayer and thanksgiving to God for His faithfulness.

An angel visited Mary, delivering her divine assignment. And it wouldn’t be surprising if this one direct assurance from God helped sustain her trust in Him throughout the rest of her life.

The bleeding woman didn’t have an angelic visitation, as far as we know. But by the time Jesus rolled up to her town, she hadn’t given up on God, We know because she was ready to do anything to get her healing from Him.

God carried each of these people through their difficult times. And He’ll do the same for you—angelic visitation or not—if you do what they did and keep trusting Him through it.

Do you need His direct assurance? You already have it, all over your Bible.

Your Story of Trusting God in Difficult Times

The Bible is riddled with stories of people trusting God in difficult times. But it’s also chock full of people who failed to trust Him. And their failure wreaked havoc in their lives.

Like the Abram-Sarai-Hagar debacle, trying to rush God’s promise instead of trusting Him to keep His word, in His timing (Genesis 16). Or King Saul, who cared more about people’s opinions than trusting and obeying God (1 Samuel 15). Or the entire nation of Israel, failing to trust and honor God throughout the whole Book of Judges.

If you’re like me and every other Christian who’s ever lived, you’ve also failed to trust God in difficult times. But you don’t have to keep failing.

Like Daniel, Mary, and the bleeding woman, you can choose to start trusting God at any moment.

He’ll never turn you away when you turn to Him, so stop waiting. Surrender your trust to God now, in difficulties and in good times. One way or the other, He’s waiting for you.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Lamentations 3:22-25 (ESV)

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