God’s way may be mysterious, but His goals aren’t

“God moves in a mysterious way.”

You’ve likely heard this phrase a time or two, perhaps more often when going through a season of trials, grief, or confusion. William Cowper wrote this famous line opening his hymn, “Light Shining Out of Darkness” which was written out of the depths of an asylum and struggles with suicidal thoughts. Amidst his continuous battle with depression, Cowper wrote poetry and lyrics alongside John Newton (the author of “Amazing Grace”) many of which were published in the collection of “Olney Hymns” in 1779.

For people who like to have control and make plans, we can find ourselves much more frustrated than joyful over the phrase. In this midst of darkness, it can seem less like a ray of sunshine and more comparable to an apathetic, looming cloud just barely withholding its raindrops from showering everything below. In the depths of mourning, the phrase might sound akin to the numb, emotionless, “whatever”. Sometimes, you might just wish the Lord would work in a little more obvious, comfortable, and leisurely way, that we might be able to float effortlessly down the river of life straight to the foot of the throne.

On the contrary, maybe you’ve found this phrase a comfort in times of chaos. Perhaps this phrase helped you finally surrender your plans to the Creator of the universe. Possibly, you just like puzzles and in these mysterious seasons, you sit on the edge of your seat eager to find out why everything is happening.

We seek to understand that which we can’t begin to comprehend. We might question the pain we endure and the sorrow we suffer. We want the roadmap for our life so we know just what to be prepared for and precisely how it all will turn out. I get it, walking the unknown path ahead is difficult. Yet friends, we don’t walk by sight or blindness, but by Faith. We follow the light shining in the darkness no matter how dim it may seem at times.

God’s ways might be a mystery, but He’s made His goal very clear as it says in Romans 8,

“28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

– Romans 8:28 // ESV

When we walk by faith, we rest in this sure truth. When you put this together with passages like Genesis 50, James 1, Isaiah 55, Job 38, Revelation 21-22 and so many others, friends, His faithfulness is just so abundantly clear. His benevolent glory is made fully evident throughout scripture. We may not know what we’ll encounter on every individual step of the path, but we can be confident of the destination.

The “good” in this passage isn’t talking about financial wealth, a clean bill of health, and a pain-free guarantee. Rather, “good” is conformity with Christ. Everything in our lives, every trial, every pain, every heartbreak, every joy, every triumph, every victory has been put before us that we might grow closer with Him. Our lives are not just left in the hands of the universe, chance, luck, or irony. Our lives are in the hands of God Almighty who is actively working all things in our lives together for His glory and our good.

Our God is not merely a passive observer of the world He created and filled with people made in His own image. He is not still. He is actively involved, at work, making beauty out of ashes, bringing joy out of sorrow, and displaying His glory in ways we cannot even see or begin to comprehend. Every moment God is working things for His children toward redemption where we will dwell in His presence and He will be our God and we will be His people.

It surely won’t be easy and definitely not comfortable, but friends, when you feel surrounded by darkness, look for the light. When you want to question the mysterious ways, remember, His goal is no mystery! He doesn’t move randomly, but deliberately and intentionally, working all things for His glory and our good.