10 Key Bible Verses on Trusting God

This article is part of the Key Bible Verses series.

All commentary notes adapted from the ESV Study Bible.

1. Jeremiah 17:7–8

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Read More

Blessed. Filled with God-defined benefits. whose trust is the LORD. Only trust in God motivates confident obedience in times of crisis.

tree planted by water. Settled with resources no matter what happens. A perfect contrast to the “shrub in the desert” (Jer. 17:6; cf. Ps. 1:3).

2. Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. Read More

Trust in the LORD is necessary for fulfilling any of the wise ways of life taught in Proverbs; trusting the Lord is closely connected to “fearing” him (cf. Prov. 1:7; 2:5; 9:10; 15:33; 19:23; etc.). With all your heart indicates that trust goes beyond intellectual assent to a deep reliance on the Lord, a settled confidence in his care and his faithfulness to his Word. Do not lean on your own understanding further explains trusting in the Lord. One’s “understanding” in Proverbs is his perception of the right course of action. The wise will govern themselves by what the Lord himself declares, and will not set their own finite and often-mistaken understanding against his.

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3. Matthew 6:25–27

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Read More

Therefore . . . do not be anxious. If one makes the right choices (Matt. 6:19–24), there is (“therefore”) no reason that one should be anxious. Jesus gives two a fortiori (“how much more”) examples—“look at the birds” (Matt.6:26), “consider the lilies” (Matt.6:28)—to show that, since God cares even for the birds and the lilies, how much more will he care for his own. To be anxious, then, demonstrates a lack of trust in God, who promises that he will graciously care for “all these things” (Matt.6:33; cf. Rom. 8:32). See also Phil. 4:5–6.

4. Psalm 20:6–7

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the saving might of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Read More

Sound Confidence in the Lord Alone. Now the worshipers shift from speaking to the king to speaking about the king. They place their confidence in God alone as the one who saves his anointed, and thus the chariots and horses that they must use are not the final cause of success, only the means that God may be pleased to prosper (as they hope for themselves) or thwart (as they hope for the enemy).

5. Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Read More

God weaves everything together for good for his children. The “good” in this context does not refer to earthly comfort but conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:29), closer fellowship with God, bearing good fruit for the kingdom, and final glorification (Rom. 8:30).

6. Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Read More

Jesus the Messiah (Christ) is eternally trustworthy in his position as high priest and as Son of God—yesterday active in creation (Heb. 1:2–4), today offering salvation (Heb. 4:7–10), and forever reigning in heaven (Heb. 10:12). This verse may be a transition from Heb. 13:7 (their leaders trusted in this Christ, and Jesus remains trustworthy) to Heb. 13:9 (strange teachings are departures from the Jesus who is always the same).

7. Psalm 56:3–4

When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me? Read More

The singer describes his circumstances and sets his mind on the right response. The situation can be seen in the repetition of trample and attack (Ps. 56:1, 2); the response is seen in the repetition of trust (Ps. 56:3, 4). This enables those who sing the psalm to set their own hearts on the right response: when they are afraid, this is the antidote.

8. Mark 4:40

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Read More

Jesus chides the disciples for being afraid (cf. Mark 7:18; 8:17–18, 21). The antidote to fear is faith, i.e., trust in Jesus. They are right in turning to Jesus, but they are exhorted regarding their fear and feeling of being forsaken by God.

9. Isaiah 26:3–4

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. Read More

perfect peace. The peace described here is first the corporate peace of the city (Isa. 26:1) and the nation (Isa. 26:2) that comes from the “hand of the Lord” (Isa. 25:10); but it is also the individual peace of the person whose mind is stayed on God. The source of such peace is the righteous, sovereign, saving God (Isa. 25:9)—who “will swallow up death forever” and “will wipe away” every tear (Isa. 25:8; cf. Rev. 21:4), and who alone is worthy of trust.

10. Psalm 37:3–5

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act. Read More

the desires of your heart. Some take “the desires” as referring to the feeling of desire, i.e., “God will shape your heart so that it desires the right things”; but the sense is rather, “he will give you what your heart desires.” It is safe to say this to those who embrace the advice of this psalm, because as they delight themselves in the LORD, their hearts will desire the right things (cf. Ps. 37:16, 31).