Trustworthy - Bible Study Book: Overcoming Our Greatest Struggles to Trust God

by Lysa TerKeurst

When hard times come and it seems God is deviating from the plan we assume our life should follow, we’re more likely to want to tame God, not trust Him. It’s then that we begin to press into our ways and our own timing. No human can carry the weight of being their own god, but so many of us try.
 
In this 6-session study of 1 & 2 Kings, join Lysa TerKeurst in Israel as she honestly reveals the places of distrust in her own heart while exploring the deeply applicable Scriptures that will teach us how to truly trust God.
 
 

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Religion, Christian Non Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2019

About the author

Lysa TerKeurst is President and Chief Visionary Officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is also an 8x New York Times’ bestselling author of I Want to Trust You, but I Don't, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Uninvited and more. Her devotional Embraced won the ECPA book of the year for 2019. Lysa was also recently awarded the Champions of Faith Author Award and has appeared on the Today Show many times as one of the leading voices in the Christian community.

Each year, Lysa is a featured keynote presenter at events all across North America and online, including the Global Leadership Network. She also tours state-to-state regularly with TPR. She has a passion for equipping women to share their stories for God’s glory through Proverbs 31 Ministries’ annual She Speaks Conference and her writer training program called COMPEL Pro. Connect with Lysa on social media @lysaterkeurst or at lysaterkeurst.com.

Reviews

[Lila Diller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Bible study through the books of 1 and 2 Kings exceeded my expectations in most areas. I didn't expect it to be really relevant. But Lysa has a way of taking a scene or snippet from the Bible and helping us see the practicality.

I also really loved the beautiful interior formatting of this Bible study! I liked that the questions to answer were in a different color. I just wish that some of the blank areas were longer for my large handwriting. ;)

The only thing I really didn't like was what I usually like in Bible studies. I prefer exegesis, walking through big chunks of a book, looking for what the author intended and keeping everything in context. I definitely do not agree with eisegesis, bringing my own ideas to the text. However, in 1 and 2 Kings, the context was too broad for this study. If this study was to be mainly about trust and how the various kings of Israel and Judah did or didn't trust God, I feel like we didn't need to get bogged down in all the names and dates and historical details. I would rather have focused on the subject of trust and God's faithfulness, with snippets shared from the kings only when it really proved the main point.

However, overall, it was a good study—thought with a lot of reading—and the Holy Spirit used it to shine the light on my heart, showing me I hadn't been trusting the Lord as much as I thought I was.

Favorite quotes:
“Whatever captivates our heart fuels our actions.” (p.73)

“Trusting God is two-fold—we must trust that His wisdom is best and live accordingly, and we must constantly pursue removing all the distracting idols keeping us from wholehearted devotion.” (p.117)

“The more I turn to the Lord in daily struggles, the more natural it is to return to Him in times of unexpected trouble.” (p.119)

Quoting theologian G.K. Beale: “'We resemble what we revere, either for our ruin or restoration.'” (p.157)

“We get laser-focused on and ultimately put our trust in what we think will save us:
a better political leader;
a best friend who's always there for us;
a spouse to unconditionally love us;
a boss who has our future best interest in mind;
a defender of our rights;
a pastor who can be all things to all people.” (p.187-188)

“Knowing our need for Him leads us to putting our trust in Him.” (p.155) – Humility is essential!

(I received this book for free from Proverbs31 as a small group leader. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was my decision to write a review.)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

06/10/24: as I read and study my chronological Bible there’s so much good stuff in 1 and 2 Kings I felt led to do the Trustworthy Bible study again. I started on May 17.
Another 5 stars the second time around. Great refresher and I learned more about all the kings. Videos are a huge plus!


Fantastic study!! The teaching videos by Lysa were awesome and filmed in the Holy Land. This study takes time daily, if it’s done right approximately 45 minutes to an hour of homework. It’s so worth it! I learned so much about the kings and about trusting God. Highly recommend.

[Crystal Lawrence Dow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good study of the Kings and how we can apply lessons from their lives to our lives to increase our trust in God. If done properly, each day of this study can take up to an hour or even longer but take that time to get the most out of it. Imperitive to not be lazy with the scripture ready and study that goes with it.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing Bible Study! It's too bad the videos that go with the study were only available for free till March 6. It costs $20 for the 6, 20 minute videos and they added so much to the study. Really this was fantastic and if you are looking to open your Bible more and explore it and learn about the different kings then this is for you!

[Courtney | Soul of a Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great study. I felt like I was getting a college education just by studying this book. ❤ I'm infinitely pleased with Trustworthy and will forever be changed by the things I learned about God and myself through it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Him, I was born (again) a queen; I’ll always be a queen. So it is my mission to examine the lives of royalty. “The experiences of the Israelites being led by these imperfect kings helps us see more clearly our need for the one true, perfect, and righteous King, Jesus.”

In Trustworthy: A Study of 1 & 2 Kings, Lysa Terkeurst takes us on a journey to Jerusalem to excavate the lives of nine somewhat obscure Old Testament leaders and the life lessons they offer. We soon discover that human royalty was not plan A, and all of these leaders fell short of God’s standard. Amidst the failures, there were a few good kings.

I was inspired by Josiah’s default of dependence on God--the quintessential example of trust. I can’t submit to God on my own strength. My spirit is too stubborn and selfish. But I can invite the King of kings to have His way with my soul until my image bears His imprint. That’s the kind of queen I aspire to be.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Bible study on 1 & 2 Kings on trusting God. The author digs deep into the study with maps, timelines, and so much honesty from her personal life. She challenges the reader to openly and honestly look at their heart / walk with Christ. The only thing that would improve the study is to make it a 12-week study instead of 6 weeks. I learned a lot from this study and found it very life-changing.

[Grayson Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

God did it again through Lysa’s way with words and visualization! This is the best written Bible Study I have done thus far. I have a new found trust in the Lord and a better understanding of an entire section of the Bible. I loved how the modern locations in Israel were incorporated, too. Magical!

[Kelly Polin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great study. There aren't many topical Bible studies on the Kings quite like this one. I love that the accompanying videos were filmed in the Holy Land. I was challenged and encouraged by this study so much I went through it twice.

[Karri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished most of this study about a month ago, but had one chapter/day left to finish. It was a nice topic to come back to, given the state of the nation right now with COVID-19. This study was convicting, insightful, and relevant; I highly recommend it.

[Kimberly Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, deep. Better with a group than alone.

[Gale Penton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lysa’s books are always very good. I have read many of them. I especially liked this one because digging more into 1 & 2 Kings is something I have always wanted to do.

[Diana Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great study of 1 and 2 Kings. I did this as an online bible study and loved it. I really gained a new perspective on what trust is and who I am trusting in. I always enjoy Lysa's teachings and am excited whenever she puts out a new book. This book is an actual Bible study that walks you through different kings of the Bible.

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that this got me studying and connecting portions of the Old Testament that I would never have been able to do on my own. I also really like that this forced me to dig deeper than I usually would when reading the Bible, flipping to one verse and then another to see their relation. I learned a ton!

[Amanda Pascoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trust in God is not one of my biggest faith issues, personally, but I appreciate Lysa TerKeurst's studies for their detailed research and depth. I liked this one, in particular, because I am fascinated by 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles after reading Lynn Austin's GODS AND KINGS series years ago. I wanted to revisit the books in a deeper study and this was a great opportunity to do so.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am normally a huge fan of Lysa TerKerst studies. Her works are so relatable and she just puts them in terms that makes sense. This study WAY missed the mark for me. I am thankful that this was not the first study of hers that I did because I am not sure I would do another one based off this study. 😕

[Sara Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed doing this Bible study with the women's group. It was especially timely to be in the middle of this when the global pandemic hit, and we had to finish the study via Zoom, from our socially distanced homes. Our current situation certainly made the issue of trusting God profoundly real.

[Victoria Guyadeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book for all women. Lysa is an amazing teacher. My faith grew so much reading this! She has you really dig into the Word of God.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great starter Bible study. This was the first actual book-Bible study I’ve done that wasn’t a simple devotional. At first (especially in the first week), I was overwhelmed with the amount of homework I had to do each day. But as I went on, and figured out how much time needed to be devoted, it got to be much better!

As for this particular Bible study, I find 1 & 2 Kings and the Old Testament in general pretty fascinating. When you actually read through the Bible chronologically, you realize how much crap (along with or in spite of the blessings of God) went on for each of these kings who ruled over Israel and Judah.

Now something I loved about this study that Lysa did was put in timelines, maps, and tables that either compared the kings or lined them up for who did what. When I read through the Bible for the first time, I tried to keep track of them myself by noting the timelines and ascensions within my journal Bible. But having an official timeline was great!

Lysa’s overall message was about trusting God. So she doesn’t go over all of the kings, and I was a bit disappointed with that. I wanted to go back through to study the context of each king.

I also felt like Lysa kinda let us go without a real ending to her Bible study. In my Lifegroup, we ourselves referenced the first week when it came up as something to discuss in the last week, but that was within our own discussion. I felt like in the end, Lysa kind of built us up about the need to trust God, without giving us more guidance on the “how.” She did as us to give something up, but she didn’t really even go into detail about the how or why decision-making process to giving something up. When I watched the last video, I was like....wow. I don’t feel like I’m drowning, but I don’t feel like I’m swimming either. More like I’m trying to float above water hoping the waves don’t overcome me to make me sink again.

I thought there would be more!

Overall though, good beginner study for me! She had some great questions and some great connections. And I really do love 1 & 2 Kings.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this study guide of 1 & 2 Kings and the accompanying video series. It helped awaken my interest in the historical narrative books of the Old Testament (-- I tend to prefer the Psalms and wisdom literature of the OT and admit that I really lack a good understanding of a lot of the other OT books). There are references to 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Chronicles and other books. Lysa's teaching is easy to follow. I liked how she used maps and timelines and how her videos were set in modern day Israel so that you could kind of visualize certain elements and events that took place (e.g. the high places, the splitting into northern and southern kingdoms). The theme of the study is the trustworthiness of God, and how we can keep our eyes on Him and trust Him, esp. in difficult circumstances, using examples from the lives of various kings (Saul, David, Solomon, Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Ahab, Jehoash, Hezekiah, Josiah, etc.) to show ways they trusted or distrusted God and what resulted. I would have liked to see a chapter on King Jehoshaphat (though that's from 2 Chronicles 20), or maybe a future study including him. I would recommend this for women who want to grow in trusting God or are interested in learning more about the kings in the OT. One caveat -- Lysa did tend to focus a lot on emotions, and that might bother some readers.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice overview of 1 and 2 Kings, but three criticisms.

1. It does not cover the ENTIRE 1 and 2 Kings. And I get it - some of the kings are barely just breezed through in scripture, and it doesn't make sense to cover them in depth in the study. However, I would have appreciated Lysa clearly saying something like, "Now skim through 1 Kings __ - ___ to give you an idea of what happens between the two kings were are studying this week."

2. Her definition of the word "trust" was/is really hard for me to wrap my head around. From week 1 to week 6, I really struggled to follow what she meant by "trust," as it didn't seem the same as my definition. In the end, I decided she meant it more as "obedience." So really, the study should be called, "Obedience: Overcoming Our Greatest Struggles to Obey God." ;)

3. It says it's a 6-week study, but if you're not meeting with a big discussion group to watch the video together, do the introduction week etc. (ie. you're just doing it on your own or with a couple friends), it's only 5 weeks long. I was doing it with a friend, and we were both a bit confused when it ended after we only met 5 times.

[Caryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a detailed and in depth study of the Olt Testament books of 1 and 2 Kings. There are so many lessons to be learned from the ancient Kings. The main lesson being that God is trustworthy. When we lose trust in Him our worlds fall apart.

Whether you are trying to lead a nation or just trying to move on from a bad relationship that left you heartbroken, you can find hope by getting to know the Kings. After 6 weeks with Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Jerobaum, Ahab, Jehoash, Hezekiah and Josiah you will be ready to throw away your cellphone, delete your social media, cancel your cable and stop trying to force people into your life who just aren’t meant to be there. Well maybe not all at once and that’s ok.

The biggest lesson from the ancient kings has got to be that humans aren’t perfect but God’s plan is. So get out of your own way and let God do what he is trying to do for you.

The next biggest lesson, stay away from high places.

This was my favorite bible study so far.

[Bethel Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her Bible study Trustworthy, Lysa Terkeurst uses the stories in 1 and 2 Kings to help us see that God is trustworthy, as well as what can happen when we don’t learn to trust him. Through 6 weeks of weekly videos on DVD filmed on location in Israel and 5 days of personal reading and reflection in the study book, Lysa guides participants to understand the sometimes confusing narrative of Israel’s history during the divided kingdom and well as helping them understand how a lack of obedience and trust in God is what led to many of the problems these kings faced. From their example, we can learn how avoiding trusting in God can have devastating consequences so that we can make the choice to avoid their mistakes. The book, full of illustrative graphics, places to write, and a leader’s guide, and the DVD, full of beautiful visuals to illustrate these truths, are great resources if you are looking for your next group Bible study. Get your copy today!

[Tonya Makrinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had the opportunity to do some of Lysa's studies and this one by far is my favorite. This is down deep inside of the scriptures of several of the kings in Kings 1 and 2 and makes you dig, wrestle, ponder, question, do some major gut checks that cause serious conviction if you really take the time to dig deep with her. She is thoughtful and thought provoking on Biblical truths that deal with the trustworthiness of God and trusting our Sovereign Lord fully.

Take the time to do this study and do it with at least one other person so you can challenge and encourage each other along the way to take those deep dives into scary places of our heart and be truthful about our relationship with God. I promise, if you do this you will come out on the other side closer and full of much more trust in King Jesus, the one and only that will never fail us.

[Elizabeth ‘Andy’ Terrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not one who typically uses Bible study guides, so I don’t have a lot to compare this to. I appreciated Lysa’s handling of OT and incorporation of theological terms. For the average Christian, it may be the first time one is introduced to exegesis vs eisegesis, etc. I don’t generally like personal pondering type questions, such as thinking of a similar situation in your life as the Bible story you just read — I don’t find it helpful and usually can’t think of anything relevant. But, I know a lot of people enjoy that type of thing. So overall, the average American Christian will probably learn something and be exposed to a portion of the Bible that isn’t often studied. The writing style is easy to follow, too.

[Cherise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a little while for me to pour myself into this study without taking extended breaks (I'm talking weeks here) in between lessons. But once I made the effort and set aside time for Trustworthy, I was hooked. From discussions about high places and Old Testament Kings to life applicable scenarios and guided prompts to encourage introspection, there was something for every woman to learn. And, the accompanying video sessions were great, too.

This is my first time delving into one of Lysa TerKeurst's studies. I've done in-depth studies from Lifeway before, and this one met the high standards I'd expect. Each day's homework took me about 40 minutes to complete. Overall, I enjoyed this journey.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love any works I've read of Lysa Terkeurst, and I've read most of her works. I enjoy how she works through the process of whatever the topic. I enjoy her humor and her down-to-earth attitude (she gets it). Trustworthy was an interesting study. It was interesting to learn about the various kings. I did enjoy the study, but this one did not hit home with me as much as her others. But I must say, all the other studies have come into my radar right when I needed them. I am working on trusting God more fully, and the study helped me see a lot of ways I do trust God. I'd recommend it for sure, but if it was your first study by this author, I have others I'd suggest over it.

[Mmtimes4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When hard times come and it seems God is deviating from the plan we assume our life should follow, we're more likely to want to tame God, not trust Him. It's then that we begin to press into our ways and our own timing. No human can carry the weight of being their own god, but so many of us try.

In this 6-session study of 1 & 2 Kings, join Lysa TerKeurst in Israel as she honestly reveals the places of distrust in her own heart while exploring the deeply applicable Scriptures that will teach us how to truly trust God.GR description

This was a great study to get into the Old Testament and realize the relevance to today.

[Casey Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Bible study taught me a lot about the kings of Kings and Chronicles in the Bible. I haven't studied those books before, so it was insightful to learn about the kings and how they impacted the history of Israel. This study points to our one true king, Jesus, who is the only worthy king to follow and trust. This study was timely for me, teaching me to trust the Lord right before a hard season hit everyone. It is hard to trust God if we don't believe He is working. I recommend this study to anyone who wants to learn more about the kings of the Bible and how that relates to trusting God.

[Elizabeth Volker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This study exceeded my expectations and has been my favorite bible study I have ever done! This study was packed full of relevant life lessons from the kings of the Old Testament. It challenged me on my own trust issues with God and pressed in me a deep desire to see Him has truly trustworthy. I took many notes as this study was packed full of great nuggets of truth I jotted down to remind myself and to store up to preach back to myself in seasons of fear or doubt. I enjoyed her cross references from other books in the Bible to give greater context of events. Great study, highly recommend!