The poem “God Moves,” written by William Cowper:
I especially like the first and last stanzas. Bret, my pastor at Bay Ridge, taught about the book of Job on Sunday morning. The first and last stanzas hit on the major point of his inspection into the book, and the mystery entire contained within the Scriptures and within our lives.
Job couldn’t possibly comprehend the reasons or circumstances surrounding the catastrophes in his life. His friends—gently at first, harshly later—tried to use a contrived, counterfactual argument to convince Job that his extreme wickedness and distance from the Lord had brought about all the disasters in his life, as if the universe were a big “fairness” machine to which even God was subject. There’s much proverbial wisdom that speaks about the disaster following fools and wicked men, but Job’s friends took the converse of the wisdom to also be truth, claiming with Ground and Consequent reasoning (as opposed to simple cause and effect) that because Job was suffering, he must be foolish and wicked. God, however, explicitly mentions in the beginning of the book that Job is the most upright and blameless man alive at the time.
The truth of the matter is that men have no idea why they suffer certain things. We cannot comprehend the reasons of God unless He tells us. He never did tell Job the reasons. Why? God does not answer to man. Too often we’re willing to interpret our circumstances (or even someone else’s circumstances) as a sign from heaven about some such thing or the other, and we’ll never know until He tells us, if He tells us.
I have no idea where my life is going. I don’t know why certain things happen in the course they do. I can’t explain away the history of the world. And I certainly can’t account for other people’s decisions. All I know is that in all things, at the end of all things, the Lord will be glorified. This is a good reminder. God is His own interpreter.
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.
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 flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
I especially like the first and last stanzas. Bret, my pastor at Bay Ridge, taught about the book of Job on Sunday morning. The first and last stanzas hit on the major point of his inspection into the book, and the mystery entire contained within the Scriptures and within our lives.
Job couldn’t possibly comprehend the reasons or circumstances surrounding the catastrophes in his life. His friends—gently at first, harshly later—tried to use a contrived, counterfactual argument to convince Job that his extreme wickedness and distance from the Lord had brought about all the disasters in his life, as if the universe were a big “fairness” machine to which even God was subject. There’s much proverbial wisdom that speaks about the disaster following fools and wicked men, but Job’s friends took the converse of the wisdom to also be truth, claiming with Ground and Consequent reasoning (as opposed to simple cause and effect) that because Job was suffering, he must be foolish and wicked. God, however, explicitly mentions in the beginning of the book that Job is the most upright and blameless man alive at the time.
The truth of the matter is that men have no idea why they suffer certain things. We cannot comprehend the reasons of God unless He tells us. He never did tell Job the reasons. Why? God does not answer to man. Too often we’re willing to interpret our circumstances (or even someone else’s circumstances) as a sign from heaven about some such thing or the other, and we’ll never know until He tells us, if He tells us.
I have no idea where my life is going. I don’t know why certain things happen in the course they do. I can’t explain away the history of the world. And I certainly can’t account for other people’s decisions. All I know is that in all things, at the end of all things, the Lord will be glorified. This is a good reminder. God is His own interpreter.
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