Do You Trust Me?
A Note from Carol: One of the greatest joys of my ministry is connecting with others who have a passion for sharing the hope and truth of God’s Word. I firmly believe that God is raising up a new generation of voices—emerging authors and storytellers who are uniquely gifted to inspire, encourage, and point others to Jesus. That’s why I’m so excited to share my blog platform with Hannah-Abigail R. Toth.
Meet Hannah-Abigail R. Toth
She discovered early on that books have the power to drag you out of the darkness. As the fourth of ten siblings and a want-to-be mom, she is passionate about writing stories that represent the truth that light conquers. She’s a third-year student in the Author Conservatory where she studies writing, business, and platform & marketing under industry experts. When she isn't writing, she loves spending time with her family and making friends with random little children.
Sometimes, I wish I didn’t live in this generation. I wish I didn’t have to face these challenges or fight the uphill battles in my own life. My natural instinct is to grumble and mentally file complaints of “unfair!” before God. Somewhere along the way, I adopted the faulty mindset that life should be easy.
But my perspective is wrong. Jesus promised we would face trouble, yet He also said to take heart because He has overcome the world. He calls us to step out of the boat and walk on water, even in the storm.
This means my perspective needs training.
Recently, a thought—strange yet refreshing—has interrupted my spirals of “God, why?”
“God, thank you for this hardship. Thank you for the opportunity to live out my faith. Help me live it well.”
I can’t entirely claim this idea as my own. Part of it stems from an episode of Eric Ludy’s Daily Thunder podcast, but thanking God in the midst of difficulty is a habit I’ve been working on for years.
Let me be honest: I still don’t enjoy it most of the time.
Grumbling feels easier. Holding on to disappointment and anger feels natural. Yet God calls me to fix my eyes on Him and trust.
Trust.
It’s a word that keeps resurfacing in my life—my thoughts, my writing, my prayers. It’s something God is continually growing in me. Because, if I’m honest, my “why” questions often stem from fear: fear of people’s opinions, fear of failure, fear that God’s answers won’t align with my desires.
Fear is the antithesis of trust.
Even when I understand this, it’s still hard. Each time I take a step to thank God for difficulty, those “why” questions lurk, pulling at my focus. It’s one thing to say I trust God and thank Him for hardships; it’s another thing entirely to live it out.
But like Peter stepping out of the boat, I’m learning to take it one step at a time.
“I need my Bible.”
Choosing to thank God in the initial moments of hardship is only the beginning. A single thought doesn’t erase my emotions or change my circumstances. When battered by life’s waves, my focus can slip—even when I’m trying to thank Him. That’s why I need to saturate myself in God’s Word.
Recently, as I struggled to fix my eyes on Jesus, I curled up with my Bible, highlighters, and a pencil. Before opening it, though, I hesitated. I knew where to find verses about fear, trust, and gratitude. But I didn’t want to “rig the system” by cherry-picking passages that might reinforce what I wanted to hear.
I wanted truth. I wanted God to speak to me, not my own expectations.
I’d been sporadically reading through Psalms but had paused to study Acts. My bookmark was still in Psalms, though, so I decided to resume there. I was excited, wondering if this was how God would remind me of His sovereignty.
And He did—in the very first verse. “The LORD reigns!” (Psalm 99:1).
I kept reading: Psalm 99, then Psalm 100, 101, and 102. Through these passages, God reminded me of His character, His guidance, and His call to integrity. Two verses stood out especially:
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness through all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5).
God’s faithfulness always stops me in my tracks—a Selah moment. It felt like God was taking me by the hand, asking, “Do you trust me?”
But how do we thank God when life feels like it’s falling apart? By clinging to His unchanging character and faithfulness through all generations.
“But you are the same, and your years will never end” (Psalm 102:27).
That’s the key to trust and gratitude in difficult times: holding fast to the truth that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who is loving and merciful is also just and righteous. He defends the vulnerable and brings justice.
He sees. He knows. He acts.
Yet He also calls us into relationship, enabling us to face every circumstance with thanksgiving and joy—even when life doesn’t make sense. Difficulties refine us, helping us see God’s character more clearly.
November is traditionally a time for counting our blessings. Perhaps it’s also an invitation to thank God for the unusual things—the challenges that refine our faith and deepen our trust in Him.
Telling Bonhoeffer’s Story with Camille Kampouris
Today’s episode of the Significant Women Podcast features an important conversation with performer and producer Camille Kampouris! Camille is one of the faces behind @AngelStudiosInc’s latest film Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin, an exciting new look into the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Camille has had a varied life as a muppeteer, wife, mother, VoiceOver actor, producer, and follower of Jesus. Listen in to hear both her story and why you should take the time to see Bonhoeffer! Watch Bonhoeffer: https://www.angel.com/movies/bonhoeffer