Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
Week 10: Chapter 9 — Trusting God with Your Circumstances
Read Chapter 9 of Trusting God. Key passages: Philippians 4:11–13; 1 Timothy 6:6–8; Psalm 16:5–6.
Previewing Week 10 of Trusting God
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 14-week guide when you’re ready.
Bridges turns now to the everyday fabric of life — not dramatic crises but the ordinary circumstances of our health, finances, relationships, and station in life — and asks whether we trust God there too.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Paul says in Philippians 4:11 that he has 'learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.' Bridges emphasizes the word 'learned' — contentment is not a natural disposition but an acquired discipline. What does the learning process look like, according to Bridges?
2.Bridges addresses the danger of defining 'God's blessing' primarily in terms of comfortable, favorable circumstances. Where do you see this tendency — in yourself or in broader Christian culture? What is wrong with it?
3.Psalm 16:5–6 says 'The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup... The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.' Bridges uses this as a model of receiving one's circumstances as God's sovereign apportionment. How does the posture of 'receiving' differ from passive resignation or from gritted-teeth acceptance?