SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 4 OF 22: GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY

The Point Church and Community Center, Greenwood, IN

God moves in a mysterious way 

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea 

And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; 

The clouds you so much dread

Are thick with mercy and shall break 

With blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 

But trust upon His grace;

Behind each 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.

NOTES ON HYMN

• This song is in a hymnal used in two churches I attended and at the college chapel, and yet I was unfamiliar with this song until Becky introduced me to it.
• Becky learned this song because one of her college professors hosted a gathering every Tuesday night, and he had them sing this song each week.
• The above hymnal contained five verses, which is how I learned it. Cyberhymnal includes another verse (the second). I'm including a link to their page below so you can see that verse if you wish.
  
• This song, like "Am I A Soldier Of The Cross" (part 1 of this series) is common meter (8,6,8,6). You can sing this to the tunes of many songs like "Amazing Grace" or "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" or the verses of "Oh, How I Love Jesus" or "Joy to the World! The Lord Has Come!"
• One other song you can sing this hymn to the tune is the theme of Gilligan's Island. I sang the first verse to that tune and smiled at the end, thinking of the storm. Then, I sang the next verse and the following, and something hit me. This song's theme is weeping is for the night, but joy comes in the morning. The original tune reflects the weeping; singing it to Gilligan's Island captures the joy part. So I may sing that song to Gilligan but not as a joke anymore.
• The lyrics to this song were written by William Cowper, who also wrote the words to "There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood" (which, by the way, is another common meter song). Cyberhymnal mentions the story behind the song, so you can click here to see the story and the original second verse that my hymnal omitted. 😞