Psalm 143:8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
William Cowper, the great hymn writer, lived with depression. One day he hired a carriage driver to take him to London Bridge where He planned to throw himself into the river and end his life. They rode for hours in dense fog.
Frustrated, Cowper demanded that the driver stop and let him out to walk. When he stepped from the carriage he was shocked to find that he was standing at his own front door.
It became apparent to him that the Lord still had a use for his life. He entered his home and penned the words to that famous hymn, “God Works In Mysterious Ways”.
“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.”
When we are in the valley we need a fresh encounter with the Lord.
— Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed written permission.
