When Trust Feels Hard: A Pastor’s Reset in the Psalms

I tell people to trust God all the time. I’m a pastor, it comes with the job.

But if I’m honest, trusting God isn’t always easy.

Maybe you’re a lead pastor, an associate, a director, or a key volunteer. Titles don’t change the reality. There are seasons when trusting God feels almost automatic and others when it feels like work.

Real work.

Sometimes it’s finances. Sometimes it’s health. Sometimes it’s leadership you’re under, decisions you don’t agree with, or prayers that feel unanswered. We all have areas where trust comes easily and others where it feels fragile.

Ministry has a way of exposing those places.

When Trust Gets Tested

One of the challenges of being a gifted leader is that we know how to make things work. We can design the stage, organize the weekend, prepare the message, and cover the gaps. And thank God for those gifts.

But ministry is a terrible profession if you don’t actually believe God is at work.

There are seasons when it feels quiet -when you’re doing what you believe is faithful, but you don’t see movement yet. Scripture reminds us of long waits we tend to gloss over: generations in Egypt, decades before promises were fulfilled, days of silence that felt endless to those living them.

Trust is easy in hindsight. It’s harder in the middle.

A Personal Reset

Several years ago, I found myself in a season where God’s instruction to me felt painfully simple: “Trust Me.”

I prayed. I asked. I waited. And the answer didn’t change.

So on January 1st of that year, I felt prompted to read through the book of Psalms -slowly, intentionally. Each day I read several chapters, and every time I encountered the word trust, I underlined it.

By the end of the month, I had marked it more than seventy times.

The next month, I went back and read only those verses.

It was exhausting... and grounding. My circumstances didn’t instantly change, but something in me did. I was reminded of what my spirit already knew, but my soul needed to rehearse.

Scripture has a way of doing that.

Let’s Rehearse the Truth Together

Below are a few of the verses that steadied me -grouped not as a sermon, but as a reminder. Read them slowly. If you’re able, read them out loud. Faith, after all, comes by hearing.

When fear rises

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust inYou.” (Psalm 56:3)“I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:11)

When the future feels uncertain

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.” (Psalm 37:5)

When you feel worn down

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior… in whom I find protection.” (Psalm 18:2)“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

When waiting feels long

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Psalm 37:7)“Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You.” (Psalm 143:8)

When hope feels thin

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him.”(Romans 15:13)“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)

Trust Grows Through Rehearsal

Looking back, I can say with confidence that God has answered more prayers than He hasn’t. And the prayers He didn’t answer the way I wanted -those shaped me in ways I couldn’t have seen at the time.

Trust doesn’t grow because circumstances improve. It grows because truth is rehearsed.

Sometimes we need to remind our flesh of what our spirit already knows. That’s why reading Scripture out loud can be so powerful. When you speak the Word of God, you’re not informing Him, you’re forming yourself.

A Simple Practice

If trust feels difficult right now, here’s a simple step:

• Choose three verses from above.

• Write them down.

• Read them out loud once a day for the next week.

• Turn them into prayer.

Not to force clarity. Not to rush answers. But to steady your heart.

You don’t need to outthink God.You don’t need to second-guess His timing.

Sometimes the most faithful leadership move is simply this:

Trust the Lord, and keep going!

Pastor Tony Kensinger serves churches as a pastor, coach, and discipleship strategist through Fresh Ministries. He has spent decades helping churches clarify spiritual formation, build healthy leadership cultures, and move from activity to intentional discipleship. If this stirred something in you, take a moment to pray -and if a conversation would help, that door is always open.