Favorite Hymns About God's Providence

I hope that these hymns will encourage my readers as they encourage me. God bless each of you.

God Moves in A Mysterious Way – William Cowper, 1774

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm

Deep in unsearchable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings, yeah, in blessings
And in blessings on your head
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

And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings, yeah, and in blessings, yeah

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
For God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION John Rippon, 1787

This hymn was sung at the fun­er­als of Amer­i­can pres­i­dents The­o­dore Roo­se­velt and Wood­row Wil­son, and Amer­i­can Ci­vil War gen­er­al Robert E. Lee.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Be Not Dismayed Whate’er Betide – Civilla D. Martin, 1904

1 Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you.

God will take care of you, through ev'ry day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.

2 Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.

3 No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon his breast, God will take care of you.

THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD – Brightwell, W. E.

1: The mighty God, Omniscient One! His ways we cannot trace. He reckons ev’ry good begun And crowns it with His grace.

2: Lo! I can see Him in His word: I will not doubt or fear; My steps are ordered of the Lord, His guiding hand is near.

3: No trial can my spirit break, For God will not forsake; He will with each temptation make A way for my escape.

4: The future beckons and I bow: My God removes the care! Behold, He goes before me now, And will my way prepare.

Chorus: He’s here and there, and ev’rywhere In all the ways I’ve trod.

I’ve never passed beyond the sphere Of the providence of God.

Sometimes We Love What Doesn’t Happen - by Dr. Bill Bagents

This post is written by my outstanding friend and former coworker, Dr. Bill Bagents. Bill serves as the most capable Vice President of Academics at Heritage Christian University in Florence, Alabama.

I think I’m supposed to have an eye exam every year or so, but I don’t do it. The latest exam revealed the need for new glasses, but it had one major bonus. Because I was scheduled to see the retina specialist in two weeks, my regular doctor did not dilate my pupils. Great choice, as it takes my eyes way too long to un-dilate.

I recently dropped a can of soda in the pantry. My previous dropped can exploded, and it took twenty minutes to clean up the mess. This time, there was no explosion and no mess.

I was hurrying to make an appointment on time. I appreciate early, and I hate late. The person meeting me also hates late and tends to arrive notably early. On this occasion, we both got delayed, but still arrived just at the chosen hour. Neither of us had to wait even a minute.

Most of us have been in “almost wrecks.” Looking back, we see how close we came, and we’re moved to grateful prayer. We even know people who have had “almost wrecks” with chainsaws.

Sometimes we love the fact that what so easily could have happened did not. Biblical examples abound.

• Noah could have been just as evil as the world around him, but “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” because he consistently did just as God commanded him (Genesis 6:8).

• Joseph could have surrendered to disappointment and fallen all the way to despair. His brothers sold him as a slave, his master’s wife lied about him, and his fellow prisoner whom he helped forgot him. But Joseph stayed with God, kept his faith, and acted with consistent integrity (Genesis 37ff). Joseph let God use him to save countless lives.

• Moses could have chosen “to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” within Pharaoh’s house, but he “chose to suffer affliction with the people of God” (Hebrews 11:25).

• Caleb and Joshua could have chosen to be as faithless and fearful as their ten fellow spies, but they stepped up and gave God great glory (Numbers 13-14).

• Daniel’s three friends could have “given themselves a pass”—just this once (Daniel 3). After all, the furnace was a life-and-death situation, and they had no promise of God’s physical protection. They stand as great examples of faith overcoming fear.

• Daniel could have closed his shutters or changed his time of prayer when he knew of the plot against his life, but he prayed in the upper room with the window open “as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:10). He refused to be ruled by fear or controlled by his enemies.

• To cite the most powerful example, Jesus could have asked the Father to spare His life, and God would have sent “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53). If so, we’d be without hope, without a Redeemer, and without a purpose in life.

Pain Plus Providence Equals Peace

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Gen 50:20-21

It’s remarkable. Joseph was willing and able to forgive his half-brothers, 22 years after they sold him and deceived their father. How did he do it? How did he reconcile with those who hated him and sought to hurt him so? Why did he not use the power he had in Egypt to destroy their lives? Instead, amazingly, he provided for them food, a home, and a new life.

His secret? He believed that God had worked through it all for everyone’s good.

He recognized his half-brothers’ evil intentions. He certainly did not believe that God had caused them to be malicious, vindictive, or hateful. Yet he understood that God had used their wicked ways to provide for him and for them in a new land.

Several years ago my wife and I experienced the most painful circumstances and changes we have ever confronted in our years of ministry. Only now, with those matters as resolved as they ever will be, do I feel that I can write about our crisis. I believe that my experience can be of benefit to others who are serving in ministry and may face similar situations.

Differing personalities, convictions, and leadership dynamics produced a crisis in the local church where I served at the time. Issues surfaced related to leadership, worship, youth, and education. I felt that I was held responsible, to some extent, for decisions and actions that I had not endorsed. I was caught in the cross-hairs. For the sake of the church, my family, and my own walk with the Lord, I found it necessary to resign my position. It was very hard to leave people I loved and a work which I had given my very best.

Rather than possibly hurting or dividing the church, I said virtually nothing to anyone by way of explanation. Though I still believe that this was best, I carried a great deal of pain and sorrow in my heart. Things had been said and done that cut me to the quick. The last thing I wanted was to cause or contribute to major trouble in the church, so I had to pull away rather than be dragged further into it.

I had never before left one ministry position without having another one waiting. We owned a house and still had a child in high school. What would we do? Where would we go? How could this have happened to us? We prayed without ceasing.

Most people who knew me were very kind, loving, and respectful. They realized that I must have done what I thought was right and best, even though I could not explain the situation to them. Others, however, who did not know me well, would look at me and act as if I had done something wrong. Whatever they had been told, or whatever they thought, I just had to swallow it. I hoped that eventually the matters in the church would be resolved and that people would know that I had tried my best.

Then I began hearing various “explanations” that were circulating as to why I had resigned. Some said that I no longer loved the people in the congregation. Some said that I never stayed anywhere very long and that this change was not unusual. Some said that I no longer wanted to preach the gospel with a local church. Such comments only added to my pain. I did not want to become bitter. What could I do?

Maybe I had been at fault. Could I have said or done something different that would have led to a healthier outcome? Should I have openly revealed the factors, personalities, and decisions that led me to resign? Should I have defended myself and confronted matters publicly? I did not think so, but I lost much sleep agonizing over the whole experience and questioning myself repeatedly.

What saved me from ultimate despair was my belief that God was at work.

In the months and years that have passed since that crisis point …

The Lord allowed us to keep our faith, our home, and our sanity.

The Lord allowed us to stay in that area long enough to overcome by sowing seeds of kindness and love.

The Lord allowed that church to enjoy restored stability after we left, thanks to some changes that other people made.

The Lord allowed me to return to that church as a guest speaker on several occasions. I was able to show that I will always love the good people there. I feel that I am part of the solution and not part of the problem.

The Lord allowed me to continue preaching His Word in a new local church setting in that same community with precious, faithful, loving saints.

The Lord allowed me to make new friends in that area that I otherwise would never have known. Several are among the best friends I have ever had in my life.

The Lord allowed me to train ministers and missionaries as an instructor and a dean at a Christian university.

The Lord allowed me to write quarterly Bible study material for Lambert Book House and to write or help write four books.

The Lord allowed me to make mission trips to South Africa and Canada, and to become involved as a regular speaker for Yellowstone Bible Camp.

The Lord allowed my wife to overcome by teaching children in a local Christian school. She was even chosen as “Teacher of the Year” by her peers.

The Lord allowed our children to turn out healthy and happy, loving the Lord and His church.

The Lord allowed us to relocate in a wonderful new church setting, where we are enjoying ministry together more than we ever have before.

Our pain has been great, but our God and his blessings have been greater.

Lord, your providence has given me peace, even in the midst of pain, and I love you for it. Grant me the wisdom and the grace to finish strong in your service. Do not allow the devil, or other people, or my own weaknesses, or anything else, to pull me away from you and your kingdom.

Pain plus providence equals peace. Joseph knew it, and now so do I. Thank you, Lord.

Cory Collins