1
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform:
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
His wonders to perform:
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
2
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.
3
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
4
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
5
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour:
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Unfolding every hour:
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
6
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own Interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own Interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
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Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
This hymn reflects our struggles as Christians Often faced with different temptations and persecutions every step of the way. I'm weak but JESUS is Strong, helpless and frail as human but I look up to HIM, I surrender to HIS unfailing skills and HIS sovereign will... Amen.
Bucca, QLD, Australia
Great comment L Coddington
Reading AWPink the nature of God in his chapter on the faithfulness of God the lines from verses 3and 4 appear and one ponders on the amazing blessings that break after great overhanging darkness
Canada
The wise men found Jesus because they wanted to find Him to worship Him. They probably traveled 1500 miles by camel & faced many dangers to be brought before king Herod (who had a reputation for cruelty) They came from the east .. Persia. They knew the prophesy & the star led them. We too can find him. He's not very far from any one of us. A prayer away.
Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria
Today this hymn dropped in my spirit while praying , goggling and going thru each verse ministered to me as if I have never heard it.
Every verse powerful. Then concluding about how unbelief can blind us……. Ha.
Thanks be to God for this ministration never to be forgotten.
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
William Cowper was a tortured soul at an early age on several fronts: All five of William‘s older siblings died in infancy. Then, when he was six, his mother passed away while giving birth to his younger brother, John. He was teased and taunted at school. His father (and uncle) vetoed his choice of a bride because she was William’s cousin. And his father forced him to study law, which was not really what he wanted to do.
When he learned that he would have to pass his bar exam before the House of Lords in Parliament, it sent him into a downward spiral depression. Later, struggling with ongoing depression, Cowper was confined to an insane asylum.
One day, William was strolling in the asylum’s garden and noticed a Bible that someone had left on a bench. Picking it up, he opened it and began to read of Christ’s atoning work on his behalf. This discovery led to his surrendering himself to God. Cowper was well known across Britain for his poetry… and for his hymn writing. … and even in these songs, his agony is revealed. Perhaps his best known hymn, “God moves in a mysterious way, ” also hints at his struggles to cope with life. For example, in this hymn he says:
“Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy…”. It’s almost as if he was talking to and trying to convince himself of this very truth. Cowper was also good friends with “Amazing Grace’s” hymn writer John Newton, who strived on occasion to prevent William from ending his life. Together, they partnered to produce a volume of their own hymns called the ‘Olney Hymns’, named after the town where they lived. The deep struggles and travails of these tarnished and defective men, have been a great blessing to us who follow as they wrote down their thoughts and prayed to God.
L. Codington
London, Newham, United Kingdom
I am always inspired by this Hymn and it keeps very strong in faith
Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria
My Lord and my God, I will not judge you by feeble sense but will trust you for your grace. You are your own interpreter and I know you will make it plain for me and my family someday.
Wailuku, Hawaii, United States
Praise the Lord, we are not in the Old Testament time, in the book of Job God did not reveal His purposes to him. He did not understand what his sufferings were for.
Today in the New Testament, God’s purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour! God in His economy is daily, hour by hour is quick to unfold His manifold... His many speaking in us. May we praise and thank HIM more and more each day as His day is coming near.
Jos, Plateau, Nigeria
I have been inspired, I conduct hymns in my Church
Xaixai, Gaza, Mozambique
I woke up this morning with the thought : that God moves in a mysterious ways.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan his works in vain
God is his own interpreter
And HE, only HE will make it plain.