Trust in the Lord: Control Less, Trust More
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
Trusting God. That's the word this message wants to give you. But what does it really mean to trust God? It isn't "let's hope it turns out fine." It isn't "we'll see what God wants." Trusting God is the certainty that God will act, without being spiritually naive about it. There is a visible reality you have to face, and that is exactly why this balance is needed: believing in spite of reality, believing that God can act despite the circumstances working against you.
1. Three Words for Understanding Trust
When the Bible speaks of trusting God, three words keep coming up: depend, lean, rest.
Depending on God means that without him, you can do nothing. You depend on the one who gives you life, the one who holds every solution for your life. Trusting him means depending on him, resting your full weight on him.
Leaning means putting your full weight on someone else. When you go to sleep and lay your head on the pillow, you set it down completely, with its full weight. That's what God wants to do in your life. Leaning on him means laying down your full weight, because God is big enough to carry what you are going through right now.
Resting, finally. I can rest, in peace, in the middle of this situation. That is what it means to trust God.
It's hard to trust people. You have to know them first, and then trust follows. It's the same with God. Trust in God is not automatic: first you know him, then you can put your trust in him. And the concrete action that flows from the word "trust" is believing that God is good in every circumstance. Believing that he is faithful even when you don't understand. Believing that he is sovereign and in control of everything.
2. The Real Enemy of Trust: Control
Do you know what the greatest enemy of trust is? It isn't doubt. It's control. When you want to control the situation, that is exactly where your trust in the person, or in God, is lacking.
Whether you believe it or not, God is good and will remain good. Maybe today you think God isn't good because something is happening to you that you don't understand. That is your perception. But God cannot change his nature based on your feelings and emotions. God is good and will remain good. God is faithful and will remain faithful. He cannot go against who he is. So you have a choice: believe in who he is, or believe the thoughts that are dominating your life today.
Trust does not erase the questions. You will always have questions. But it is not the questions that should stop you. You must keep walking, knowing who is leading your life right now. That is mature trust.
3. Three Biblical Examples for 2026
The Bible is full of men and women who trusted God. Three classic examples apply especially well to this year: Abraham, Moses, and Peter.
Abraham: Leaving Without a Map, With a Promise
Abraham had to leave his family, his country, his security, everything, to head toward a place he did not know. God simply told him, "Take the first step, and I will lead you." Abraham had no map, he had no Google Maps. He had something far deeper: a promise. God's promises are "yes and amen," and they never change. Maps, on the other hand, change, and sometimes they're wrong. Your life must be a walk not with a map that you draw, but with the promise that God is with you and always will be.
Abraham left without getting the answers first. Trust is obeying without understanding. If you understand first and then obey, that isn't faith. God's dynamic is this: when you obey, understanding follows. Maybe not right away, but sooner or later the why arrives.
Moses: When the Way Is Blocked
Moses knew where he was going, but the road was blocked. Ahead of him the sea, behind him the Egyptians, and a people who kept complaining. When there is no human solution left, that is exactly where God's supernatural begins. You cannot understand what it means to trust God if everything works out through human means. It is when everything is blocked, when the road is closed, that trust takes on its full meaning.
Moses gave the people a fundamental lesson: "The Lord will fight for you." (Exodus 14:14) And God did not go around the sea, he did not build a bridge. He opened the sea, he opened a way. Where humanly there was no path, God opened one. The same is true for you: if God has asked something of you, there is a way. But he wants you to stand firm, staff in hand, and to obey before you understand.
Peter: Keeping Your Eyes Fixed on Jesus
During the storm, Jesus walks on the water. Peter challenges him: "If it's you, tell me to come." And Jesus says, "Come." Peter got out of the boat. But at one point, fear of the storm made him sink. The problem was not that he sank; the problem was that his eyes were no longer on Jesus, they were on the storm. When the water reached his throat, he looked back at Jesus: "Lord, save me!" And Jesus caught him.
Important detail: Jesus did not put him straight back in the boat. He corrected him first: "You of little faith!" He wanted to teach something right there in the situation, because that is where understanding happens. Trusting God does not mean being perfect. You can fall a thousand times. All God asks is that your eyes turn back to him.
These three figures teach you three things:
- Abraham: trusting God when you don't know where you're going.
- Moses: trusting God when you see no way out.
- Peter: trusting God in everyday life, one step at a time.
4. Four Ways to Grow Your Trust in God
1. Know God Through His Word
You cannot trust what you don't know. Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." The Word must be your point of reference for your trust to grow.
2. Remember God's Faithfulness in the Past
The people of Israel built memorials out of stones to remember that God, in that very place, had done a certain miracle or had answered in a certain way. Your life should be made up of memorials. When was the last time you built a memorial based on your trust in God? When was the last time you experienced trusting God completely and had him answer you?
The problem today is that the church has few experiences like this; it no longer dares to give God its full trust, for fear of losing control. But if we don't build memorials, how will the next generation know that God is good? Dare to. Put God to the test. He is faithful. Write your memorial, sing it, turn it into a poem, share your testimony, but create it. That way, when doubt comes back (and it will), you can turn around, remember God's goodness, and move forward knowing he has already done it once and will do it again.
3. Choose Obedience, Even When It Costs You
Trusting God is a daily decision. There is a verse that isn't always welcome, in Luke 9:23: "Take up your cross daily and follow me."
For the disciples listening to Jesus, the cross was not a religious symbol: it stood for one thing only, torture. The Romans made the condemned man carry the cross, following the soldier all the way to the place of crucifixion. The prisoner no longer decided where he was going: he was bound, he simply had to follow.
Jesus says to you: take up your cross and follow me. Where does he want to take you? Also to a place of crucifixion, but to crucify your will, your ego, your pride. It is not a place of condemnation, it is a place of grace. From there comes the resurrection that gives eternal life.
Taking up your cross does not mean "suffer and be quiet," it is not passive resignation to sickness. It is deciding that, in the situation you are in, you keep following Jesus because he has the best for your life. It is choosing integrity even when a lie would give you a shortcut. It is deciding to forgive rather than hold on to resentment. It is neither obvious nor easy, but it is what Christ wants, because the truth pays off.
4. Entrust God With What You Cannot Control
We tend to want to control everything: the future, a relationship, our work. But when you control what is in your own hands, it dies. When you entrust it to God, even without knowing why, there can be life and resurrection. Control is the enemy of trust, because if I'm controlling, I am telling God, "I don't trust you." Yet God wants control of your whole life, not just certain areas.
This can also apply to finances, the fear of not having enough. That too is part of trusting God: being able to give to him, and letting him take care of your life.
Key Takeaways
- Trusting God is not "hoping for the best," it is the certainty that God will act.
- Three verbs describe trust: depend, lean, rest.
- The real enemy of trust is not doubt, it is control.
- Abraham obeys without knowing, Moses stands firm when the way is closed, Peter fixes his eyes back on Jesus.
- 2026 can be your year to control less and trust more.
Personal Application
- What area of your life are you controlling right now because you're afraid to let it go?
- When did you last build a "memorial," a tangible reminder of a time God answered you?
- What are your eyes fixed on today: the storm or Jesus?
- Is there a step of obedience God is asking of you while you're still waiting to understand?
- What does "control less, trust more" concretely mean for you this week?
Scripture References
- Proverbs 3:5-6
- Exodus 14:13-14
- Matthew 14:22-33 (Peter on the water)
- Luke 9:23
- Romans 10:17
FAQ
Does trusting God mean you stop asking questions?
No. Trust does not erase the questions. It reminds you who is leading your life while the questions remain. You can move forward without having all the answers.
What is a "memorial" today?
A concrete, visible reminder of an answer from God: a journal, a shared testimony, a date written down, a song, a symbolic stone. The purpose is simple: when doubt returns, you look back and see what God has already done.
Does taking up your cross mean passively accepting suffering?
No. It is choosing to follow Jesus in the situation you are in, letting your will and your pride be crucified. It is not resignation to sickness, it is an active surrender of your life to Christ so you can live out the resurrection with him.
to take notes and ask questions.