Emily sat on the floor of her bedroom closet, knees pulled tight to her chest, a tear-streaked journal open in her lap.
“I don’t know how to trust him again,” she wrote.
Her husband had apologized. More than once. He’d started counseling, installed accountability software, and even asked how he could support her healing.
And yet, her heart wouldn’t soften.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to trust her husband. She just didn’t know how anymore.
Everything inside her screamed,
What if he does it again?
What if I believe him and end up even more broken than before?
However, if she were honest, the real struggle went deeper.
How could she trust God after this betrayal?
Why had God allowed this betrayal?
Why didn’t He stop it?
Why hadn’t she sensed it earlier?
Where was God when her world fell apart?
Emily’s questions echo the ones I asked years ago.
Maybe they echo yours, too.
Trust Is Hard—Especially After It’s Been Broken
Whether your trust was shattered by betrayal, abuse, or abandonment, the aftermath feels the same. You hesitate. You flinch and protect your heart so tightly, you wonder if anyone—even God—can break through.
And here’s the hard truth: rebuilding trust with someone else is nearly impossible when you struggle to trust God.
We were created for relationships. But, more importantly, we were made for a trusting relationship with God. That’s where it all begins.
And when that trust is cracked, everything else feels shaky.
The Bible Doesn’t Gloss Over Trust Struggles
One of my favorite examples of wrestling with trust is Job.
Job was blameless and upright—a man who feared God. But through God’s sovereignty (see Job 1 and 2), he suffered devastating losses. He lost everything he held dear: his children, his wealth, his health, and his sense of stability.
And what did Job do?
He asked questions. Lots of them.
- Why was I even born? (Job 3:11)
- What is mankind that you test us at every moment? (Job 7:17–18)
- Why do the wicked prosper while the innocent suffer? (Job 21:7)
He poured out his pain, confusion, and shattered expectations before God. Job asked questions I would have asked and some that I did ask.
But when God finally responded, he didn’t offer explanations.
Instead, God answered Job with a series of questions—ones that pointed back to who He is:
- Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? (Job 38:4)
- Can you tell the clouds to cover you with water? (Job 38:34)
- Do hawks fly by your wisdom? (Job 39:26)
God didn’t give Job the why he wanted. He gave Job the who he needed.
And that changed everything.
Trusting God Again After Betrayal Begins with Who, Not Why
This is the secret no one tells you about trust: it doesn’t start with the person who broke it. It begins with God, who never will.
When we focus on our pain, trust feels impossible. But when we lift our eyes to Jesus, who holds all things together (see Colossians 1:15-20), we find the place to anchor our hearts again.
Job didn’t get all his questions answered. But he got something better.
He encountered the magnitude and majesty of the living God.
That encounter changed his perspective—and it can change ours, too.
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” —Job 42:5 (NIV)
How Do You Begin Trusting God After Betrayal?
It’s not a formula. And it’s not fast.
But it starts with returning to God—not with a polished prayer, but with your raw, honest heart.
- Tell him you’re angry.
- Tell him you’re scared.
- Tell him you don’t know how to trust anymore.
He can handle your honesty. He invites it.
Then ask Him to reveal His character to you.
Ask Him to show you who He is, not just what He does.
Read through Job 38–42. Let the weight of God’s presence remind you that He is still God. He is still good. He is still with you.
“If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut,
he’ll help you catch your breath.” —Psalm 34:18 (The MESSAGE)
You’re Not Alone
If trust feels impossible right now, take heart. You’re not broken—you’re healing.
Sometimes there are no answers to the questions, but there is a God who hears your pain and offers his comfort, peace, and trustworthiness.
Healing takes time, intention, and a safe space to process the hard stuff.
I’ve been where you are, and I’d be honored to walk alongside you as you rebuild your trust.
Let’s take the next step together.
Schedule your complimentary Find Hope Again session today. No pressure. No judgment. Just one heart meeting another in grace.
👉 [Click here to schedule your free session.]
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
God is trustworthy—even when trust feels impossible.
Let’s rebuild trust together.