William Cowper’s hymn contains some very pertinent and still relevant truths:
- ‘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.’
Last night, we had testimonies of how God does indeed work in mysterious ways: how the arts’ festival led to a member’s father finding new friends and the opportunity to take up a new hobby after months of pain and sorrow following bereavement, how a member’s illness has actually opened doors to online evangelism, how another member has seen God work in practical ways at work, despite difficulties and problems.
Casting Crowns’ song ‘Just Be Held’ reminds us that ‘your world’s not falling apart; it’s falling into place. I’m on the throne.’ It can be difficult to believe this when tragedies hit us and we wonder where God is in the trials. Nonetheless, we affirm that God is working all things together for good (Rom 8:28) and are encouraged by testimonies which act as evidence of God’s faithfulness and love. Most of us would prefer not to have to go through trials or to suffer. We would like a pain-free world; our hearts long for justice and peace. We know, however, that God is working even when we cannot see Him and we encourage each other to keep on keeping on, waiting for God’s purposes to be fulfilled in every area of our lives.