Where do you turn when times seem troubled?

Throughout my life, I’ve faced many uncertain situations that caused worry–including financial troubles, health scares, and strained relationships. With each new challenge, I needed to decide where to place my trust. I could quote Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” But quoting it was not enough; I needed to learn to apply it in these peace-stealing situations.

In trying to implement trusting God, I found guidance as I looked to God as the God of my present, past, and future. In Revelations 1:8, Jesus says He is “‘the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End … who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (emphasis mine).

God is the God who is. He is the God of our present.

We can rely on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us daily. We are not wandering like blind men in the dark. The ever-present living God is our guide. As we seek Him through continual prayer, we grow our trust and learn to recognize His leading.

Knowing He wants our lives to honor Him, we can be confident that He will order our steps. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23). He will show us what to do and think. “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).

Learning to live in the present, trusting in our ever-present God, brings peace.

God is the God who was. He is the God of our past.

God has redeemed our past by forgiving our sins. First John 1:9 declares, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The more we believe our sins are covered, the more confidence we have to live pleasing Him today.

God uses our past to guide us in the present. Our victories and defeats become stepping-stones to the future He desires. Past failures threaten to slow our progress, but God can bring good even out of our worst mistakes. Placing them in God’s hands submits our future to Him. (Biblical example—Solomon was born to Bathsheba even after David had committed grievous sin to attain her. See 2 Samuel 11 and 12.)

Submitting our past to God teaches us to trust Him with our future.

God is the God who is to come. He is the God of our future.

Realizing that God knows all can eliminate worry about the future. He remains un-surprised by events that catch us off guard. Knowing the future as assuredly as He does the past, He promises to be with us always, working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Corrie ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Knowing God helps us trust Him. We can be confident that He loves us and cares about everything we face. He is the Almighty who controls what seems uncontrollable. We need not fear the future in this world or the one to come, for He is our source of peace and eternal life.

Trusting God with our future gives us confidence to live for Him in the present.

Truly God is “the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End … the Almighty” (Revelations 1:8). We can trust Him with our past, present, and future.

What troubling situations do you currently face?

How can knowing God as the One who was and is and is to come help you face these situations with confidence?

How can you commit your past, present, and future completely to the Almighty?