The Mysterious Ways of God

Week 15, Thursday

Kathy Ferguson Litton

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (nkjv)

“God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform,” wrote William Cowper in 1774. This ancient hymn contains rich truth as we examine the work of God in suffering. Most earnest believers desire growth, transformation, and compassion to mark our hearts. We beseech God for greater faith, patience, and endurance. Mysteriously most of these commodities become more authentically ours via the crucible of suffering. While we would never readily choose pain it seems to be the most powerful transformational tool for our souls. God moves in mysterious ways to accomplish His work.

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 things we dread and fear the most in the end by the work and person of the Holy Spirit do bring good to us. Those dark clouds of pain will break open blessings on our heads. While we rarely use the word prosper with the word suffering, most of us recognize that God does prosper us in pain. Our prosperity may not be in physical strength or material blessings. We can prosper in things that really matter in faith, hope, and love. We prosper in peace and hope. Suffering introduces us to the sufficiency of God as no other human experience can. Fearful saints are transformed by the storms in our lives.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower

The sweet flower of suffering is a purified faith, the growth of unexplainable trust, and intimacy with God borne out of desperation. When we pour out our fear, disappointment, lack of faith, or even doubt to Him He tenderly meets us in our brokenness. In our weaknesses His power is perfected. The bitterness of pain can produce a sweet fruit in our lives, fruit that would not have been borne outside of our pain and losses. In the things we dread God does move in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

Father, help me to take courage in the face of the mysterious circumstances of my life. I do not see what You see and I do not know what You know. Yet I know Your heart. You are good. Let me rest in that today. Amen.