Is God Trustworthy?
These are two of the most famous verses in the Bible:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
-Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
But this leads to the simple question, Is God trustworthy? Now, I know for those of you who are long-term Jesus followers, this question has been already settled in your mind. But just in case you’re new to the faith, or you’d like some more Biblical support, then this is your post!
What is Trust?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, trust is, “to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or that something is safe and reliable.”
Let’s find out if God is trustworthy…and we will use that definition as a guide.
Is God Good?
Are there people in your life who love you?
Do you have enough food to eat?
Do you have the ability to improve your life?
Is there anything you truly need that you do not have or cannot get?
Did Jesus come to earth to offer you forgiveness of your sins?
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
-James 1:17 ESV
God has provided every good thing in your life. As James says, every good and every perfect gift comes from Him. Yes, He is good. Check out this list of verses about God’s goodness.
However, if you have questions about God’s goodness, let me refer you to a couple of our other posts:
Is God Honest?
“God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it.”
-Numbers 23:19 GW
I could just leave it at that. But both Biblical and historical evidence prove the honesty of God in one major way. The Bible contains somewhere around 2,500 prophecies, and of those approximately 2,000 have already come true. They have come true with perfect accuracy, not a single error! The remaining prophecies predict events yet to occur. If God says He will do something, or says something will happen, we know His words is true. Yes, God is honest.
Oh, if you have questions about the fact that God knows the future and how that affects our free will, check out our post, If God Knows the Future, How Do We Have Free Will?
Is God Safe (will God harm you)?
Yes, He is safe, but not in all circumstances. Let’s look at this from two perspectives.
God is perfectly safe for those who love Him and follow His ways.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
-Psalm 4:8 NIV
One of the most vulnerable points of our lives is when we sleep, and we do it almost every night. And yet we can sleep soundly, knowing God is with us.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
-Psalm 27:1 KJV
There are so many verses about how God is our safe place and our Protector. Here are a few. And of course, those who follow God’s ways, starting with asking for forgiveness of sins, will live with God forever in Heaven. And it won’t be the boring, sitting on a cloud place you may have envisioned.
Not following God is not safe in the long term.
“He will come with burning fire to punish those who don’t know God—those who refuse to accept the Good News about our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with a destruction that never ends. They will not be allowed to be with the Lord but will be kept away from his great power. This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes to receive honor with his holy people. He will be admired among all who have believed. And this includes you because you believed what we told you.”
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 ERV
Let’s not ignore this point. We know God is honest, and many times in the Bible we see references to eternal suffering for those who don’t follow Jesus. It’s not a joking matter. Also, this isn’t God forcing anyone into Hell, but rather, it is the result of the choice we make to either follow Jesus or “refuse to accept the Good News about our Lord Jesus.”
For more information about Hell, check out the following posts:
Is God Reliable?
Yes. Didn’t you read the section above about Is God Honest? 😊
Back to the Question
So, based on Biblical evidence, and even your own experience, yes, God is trustworthy. You can be fully assured that He will always do what He says He will do, because He has always done what He said He would do.
“God, who has called you to share everything with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
-1 Corinthians 1:9 NCV
Remember:
God cares for you.
“Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.”
-1 Peter 5:7 GNT
God is always working for your good, even when you can’t see it.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
-Romans 8:28 NIV
When you trust Him, you can have complete peace in Him.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
-Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
If you have follow-up thoughts, feel free to reach out to me directly via our contact form. Also, if you’d like to learn more about me and why I create all this content about following Jesus, check out my About page.
Love you Jesus follower!