Trusting a Mysterious God: A Musical Meditation

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

‘For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?’
‘Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?’

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.—Romans 11:33-36

What do you do when life makes absolutely no sense? Do you wallow in despair? Try to escape? Rail at God?

Or do you move towards Him with courage?

In 1773, William Cowper (pronounced “Cooper”) penned what may have been his last hymn, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” Throughout his life, Cowper battled with four serious bouts of depression, which led to multiple suicide attempts. By the grace of God, all of them failed, and he died a natural death at the age of 69.

With this as the backdrop, this hymn takes on a new and significant meaning. Though Cowper also struggled with his faith, wondering if he was one of God’s elect, God guided him to pen these words of deep trust and confidence for saints today.

Before reading on, I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to this modern version of this classic hymn by my friend, Ian Nagata. Follow along with the lyrics, taking note of particular images and ideas that minister to you. Sometimes it helps to listen a second or even a third time to let the words settle in.

1 God moves in a mysterious way
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.

3 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall breakIn 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.

5 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev'ry hour.
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.

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

Meditating on the Music

I love this hymn because it tackles the hard issues of life head on. Where is God when you are facing impossible circumstances? How do you make sense of tragedy? Is God really good and sovereign at the same time? These are questions that have been asked by every human heart through the ages.

Before we begin, let’s get oriented in your own life. What questions ring in your heart at this time? Where is your heart sore or doubtful or perplexed or anguished?

Then, let’s see how Cowper works through this with his hymn.

Behold Your God

The first two stanzas focus on God’s nature. Through his imagery, Cowper focuses on God’s mysterious nature. We cannot, in our human limitations, fathom his designs. His ways are not ours—they are much higher than we can understand (Is. 55:8, 9).

But they are not just mysterious and unknowable, they are wondrous—awesome and amazing. This is not just Him being secretive and hiding things from us. We simply would not get it, even if He told us! Like Paul in Rom. 11:33, His ways are beyond our searching out.

Cowper goes on to describe Him planting His footsteps in the sea—walking on water, perhaps, as in Mark 6:45-56. In this scene, the disciples too are struggling with the storm—and Jesus walks towards them in it. The fact that He can walk through the storm suggests He is greater than the storm—Cowper even describes Him riding on it!

All of these things help us to understand something about our God. We are in the hands of a God who is not fazed by storms. Not only is He able to handle them, He has good, awesome, and amazing purposes in it. Will you rest your heart and entrust yourself to Him?

Stanza 2 goes on in the opposite direction. Whereas God is high and lifted up above the storm, we can also find Him in the depths of unfathomable mines. There He unearths treasures of bright designs, skillfully unearthed as to not harm. The words “treasures” reminds us of His loving intentions as he works his sovereign will. It is not merely that He has things under control—He is doing so with great love.

Take a moment to behold your God. He is not just mysterious and great, but love, goodness, and skillful. Will you trust this God?

Take Courage in Your God

With this God at the helm, we get to stanzas 3-5. As we ponder on God’s greatness, it is not merely just to think about it. Who God is leads us to respond to Him. This is a relationship, not a mental exercise.

We live in a world that God created, but He has not simply wound it up and walked away. No, He is actively involved in it. As the first stanzas show, He is near and continues to interact with His creation.

For that reason, Cowper calls us “fearful saints” to take fresh courage. There are three things that we can remember, three things that when entrusted into the Lord’s capable hands can also bring good in mysterious ways.

• Storm clouds may appear to be filled with turmoil but release blessings in rain.

• When you feel like you’re on the receiving end of discipline (His frowning face), His father’s heart is for your good (Heb. 12:7-11).

• Early buds may be bitter, but given time, they will emerge as a sweet flower.

Cowper is no stranger to the pains of living in a fallen world. But even in the midst of it, he reminds us—and himself—that He has purposes, and they are ripening fast, unfolding every hour. He is moving somewhere with it.

We don’t know the exact details, but we can know that His ultimate goal is the likeness of His Son. With that as the end goal, we can understand all the hardships we face can and will be used towards that end—making us more like Christ (Rom. 8:28, 29).

What good might your trial or suffering create in you? Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you see His hand in the midst of it.

Beware Unbelief

The opposite response to God’s sovereign care is found in the final stanza 6 and serves as Cowper’s warning. We can persist in unbelief if we wish, but it “is sure to err.” It blinds us and leads us to the false conclusion that all is vanity.

Rather, Cowper rounds out this hymn by returning back to God’s nature. He is His own interpreter. He alone holds the reasons.

And when the time is right, He will reveal those plans to us. We may never know on this side of heaven the purpose of our sufferings. It may not be until we see Him face to face.

While we are here, His ways will look mysterious. Because we still live in a body affected by sin, our minds will not be able to comprehend what He is doing.

But one day, when we see Him again, we will be changed. We will understand because we will see Him face to face.

Until then, dear Christian, take courage. Trust in Him. He has His timing in revealing His purposes. He is never late. He is never wrong.

It’s okay not to know why things happen. That is not a prerequisite for trust. But He has given us enough to trust in.

With what He has given, will you then trust Him as He works out His mysterious will in your life?

Take heart, take courage, and look to our mysterious but loving Father. He is sovereign, powerful, and merciful—and He is in control of all that concerns you.