We Are Jonah

Now for something completely different...

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Check this out - this is a really awesome old hymn by a guy named William Cowper:

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

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 sovereign will.

You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
and scan his work in vain:
God is his own interpreter,
and he will make it plain.

The most far out thing, though, is that this wasn't written by some ivory tower intellectual professional hymn writer - Cowper (pronounced like "Cooper", FTR) was a British poet and writer, and was all about putting real-life experience into writing, rather than delving into lofty, intellectual realms that are disconnected from real, lived experience.

And beyond that, this glorious song that praises God's sovereign might even through suffering was written by a man who suffered his entire life through severe depression, particularly so after the death of his wife.

He never bounced back from that, you see. He never saw the light at the end of the tunnel while he was still on this earth. But he still held on, still believed in the mighty God that holds every circumstance - good and ill - in his hands. God does move in mysterious ways, which is often uncomfortable, difficult and painful for us to come to terms with.

Sometimes, for reasons we may never know on this side of eternity, his ways involve us suffering extreme pain and loss. But we will be alright if we can learn to say, with our brother William Cowper, "His purposes will ripen fast,unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower".

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 4:51 PM. There are . If you want, you can leave your own response by clicking here. You may also send this post to a friend of yours via email, or bookmark it for yourself by using icons below;