The saying “In God We Trust” has profound significance for Christians. It encapsulates the biblical teaching that our ultimate faith and dependence should be on God rather than any earthly power or institution. Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to place their complete trust in Him alone.
The phrase first appears in the Bible in Psalm 56:4, where David declares his trust in God in the midst of great adversity: “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Despite being surrounded by enemies, David affirms that his confidence is in the Lord. He will not fear because his hope rests securely in God’s protection and sovereignty.
Later in Psalm 56, David repeats this refrain of trusting in God because he has experienced God’s deliverance time and time again: “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11). David’s experience of God’s faithfulness in the past fuels his trust in God in the present and future. He has seen firsthand that the Lord is able to deliver him from every danger.
The book of Proverbs also extols the blessings that come from trusting in God rather than self or others: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we rely on our limited human wisdom, we will often stumble and go astray. But God promises to direct the path of those who trust fully in Him.
In Isaiah 26:3-4, the prophet Isaiah proclaims that God Himself is the source of perfect peace: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” Lasting tranquility comes not from our circumstances in life but from trusting in the unshakeable rock of God.
The New Testament echoes this same call to place our faith in God over all else. During His earthly ministry, Jesus told His disciples not to be consumed with worry over material needs, “for your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…” (Matthew 6:32-33). The antidote to anxiety is seeking God and His will above all else in our lives.
In his epistles, the apostle Paul frequently affirms that those who have faith in Christ Jesus are children of God who have an unbreakable bond with Him. “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” (Ephesians 1:13). Our trust is in the promises of God sealed by the Holy Spirit, not in our own goodness.
Paul further explains that we must have the same attitude of humble trust and dependence that Jesus Himself exemplified: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7). Though equal with God, Jesus took on human flesh and entrusted Himself fully to the will of the Father.
This posture of imitating Christ’s trust in the Father enables believers to face every circumstance with confidence and joy: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice… The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7).
When our trust is firmly anchored in God through Christ, we are filled with supernatural peace and joy regardless of our earthly troubles. The believer who trusts in the Lord has an unshakable peace and perspective.
This stance of radical trust and dependence on God is perfectly encapsulated in the saying “In God We Trust.” To truly live by this, we must continually examine our hearts and lives to see where we are placing our trust – in our talents, wealth, relationships, leaders, or institutions. Scripture makes clear that the only sure and worthy object of our trust is the eternal God Himself.
The motto “In God We Trust” was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War of the 1860s. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize God on United States coins.
A letter from Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, dated November 13, 1861 to Secretary Chase reads:
Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances. One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins. You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation?
This would be utterly repugnant to the genius of our institutions. Heaven forbid that such a reproach should overshadow the American name, and that we, at this early period of national existence, should inscribe ourselves upon the pages of history as a nation who recognized no God in the form of its public administrations. The tribute to our National God, to whom we are indebted for our unequaled liberties and formed enterprise and boundless resources, ought surely to be made under His own banner.
Finally, on March 3, 1865, Congress passed the Act of March 3, 1865, authorizing the use of IN GOD WE TRUST on our coins for the first time. The motto was first used on the new two-cent coin.
In 1956, the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution adopting IN GOD WE TRUST as the national motto of the United States. IN GOD WE TRUST was first used on paper money in 1957, when it appeared on the one dollar silver certificate. The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation on October 1, 1957.
Today, the motto “In God We Trust” is boldly printed on all our coins and currency, reminding us of the psalmist’s truth in Psalm 118:8, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” Though nations and earthly powers will rise and fall, God’s kingdom is eternal and unshakable.
When we proclaim “In God We Trust,” we affirm that our hope as individuals, families, communities and a nation does not rest in our own strength or ingenuity but in the providence and sovereignty of Almighty God. Trusting in God brings peace, stability, and true freedom that endures amidst changing circumstances. It provides an anchor for our national and individual lives.
The motto IN GOD WE TRUST is indicative of the faith and optimism exemplified by the Pilgrims who began this great country. They came to America with a deep and abiding faith in God, and upon their arrival, they knelt and thanked the Lord for preserving them through a long and treacherous voyage. The Pilgrims truly trusted in God.
Thankfully, our coins and currency now reflect that the fundamental reliance of America’s forefathers was not in man, but in God. The public honor accorded through the legal motto IN GOD WE TRUST, “speaks volumes about the religious beliefs of the people, and the corresponding recognition of a Supreme Being.”
Therefore, the placement of our national motto on the currency of America is undeniably significant, reminding us of the solid ground upon which our country stands. As Psalm 33:12 declares, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!”
When we trust God, we affirm that He is the sole source of truth and moral authority. We acknowledge that we cannot control every outcome in life, and that we must rely on Him for the future. Trusting God means believing that He loves us, knows what is best for us, and is able to help us. It brings freedom from anxiety about the unknowns of life.
The more we cultivate a lifestyle of trusting God, the more we are able to rest in His peace and joy each day. Our motives and reactions become less self-centered, less fearful, less frustrated, as we continually lift our cares and decisions up to the Lord in prayer. We are able to take each moment as it comes without being overcome by worry.
We demonstrate faith in God’s power by bringing our needs to Him first, before trying to work everything out in our own limited strength. We can boldly ask God for His supernatural help, provision, wisdom, and intervention when we trust that He is able and willing to act on our behalf.
Trusting God does not necessarily mean we will be shielded from hardship or suffering. However, we can cling to the promise that He will bring beauty from ashes and redeem every pain for our good. God may not take away the storm, but He will anchor us securely so that we do not drift away.
When we trust God, we do not need to fear illness, poverty, oppression, violence, loneliness, or any other threat the enemy uses to breed fear and hopelessness. Our security is not in our health, money, abilities, or relationships. Our security is in the invincible everlasting arms of our Almighty God.
Trusting God brings freedom from constant anxiety and worry. We can experience His supernatural peace when we pray about everything, and worry about nothing. We were not created to carry the weight of life’s troubles on our own shoulders. We have a compassionate Shepherd who longs for us to cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for us.
Above all, we express trust in God when we place our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We rely fully upon His sacrificial death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, rather than trusting in our own good works. We depend continually upon the Holy Spirit’s power to transform us into Christ’s image, rather than trying to reach perfection in our own strength.
Our motto IN GOD WE TRUST beautifully conveys how faith and trust in the Almighty makes everything possible. It is a profound privilege we must never take for granted. May it ever be imprinted on our hearts as well as our coins.