“…Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.”

For a while now, Ben and I have been talking about about how much we seem to be in a season of seeing many of those around us go through very difficult times.  Many of the people that we love dearly have had some significant heartache lately. While each friend’s trial is different and totally unrelated to each other, these things make our hearts very heavy along with them.  I was telling Ben yesterday that all of this reminds me of a book that I read in college, by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., called Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin.  I appreciated this book because, while it was a heavy read, the message of it resonated with my heart about the broken world that we live in. Especially recently, I have just found myself thinking that very thing: this is not the way that it’s supposed to be! Thankfully, God will one day restore all of this brokenness and we can look forward to that day with a steadfast hope. If you are interested in the book, you can find it here.

Those of you that were at our wedding may remember one of the songs that we included in our ceremony, called  ”There is a Fountain”. We love this song, and we have a special appreciation for the songwriter, William Cowper. Cowper was someone who battled depression on and off throughout his life, yet was able to counsel himself and others with truths such as, ”The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.” He is a testimony to the fact that it is God who gives us the endurance to run the race.

It is Cowper who also penned the words to the poem, “God Moves in A Mysterious Way”.  During these times of heavy-heartedness, when I am reminded of the brokenness of this world, God has encouraged me by bringing this poem to mind. Even in the midst of all of this “messiness”, it is God who is working His sovereign will, and we can rest in that.  This poem has truly a blessing to me, and I hope it is to you, too.

 

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

By William Cowper

 

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

 

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sov’reign will.

 

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

 

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flow’r.

 

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

Advertisement