Most Christians at one point or another have heard the phrase “God works in mysterious ways”. It’s unavoidable, quotable as “all things through Christ who strengthens me” and useful in almost every situation.
But is it really in the Bible? Surprisingly, no. It originates from a hymn, written by 18th century English poet William Cowper, who wrote “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”
But just because it’s not in the Bible, does that mean we shouldn’t say that God works in mysterious ways? It depends on our understanding of “God’s mysterious ways”. Bad things that happen in life are often attributed to God and His mysterious ways, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” We see evidence of that love in the New Testament, when Jesus came and lived among us. He ate with sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10), healed people (Mark 5, John 9, etc), washed His disciples’ feet (John 13) and ultimately sacrificed Himself, all in the name of love (John 3:16).
We can be assured of that love—there’s no secret in how much He cares for us. Bad things happen because we live in a sinful world. What can be mysterious, however, are the ways in which our stories unravel. We often can’t see the whole picture until we’re looking back, and even then, we often don’t see the whole story. Situations that to us seem completely dire, or even average and forgettable, can always be used by God—He wastes nothing. As Romans 11:33 reminds us, “Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable His judgements, and His paths beyond tracing out!”
I’m reminded of a moment when my sister and I were flying back home to Sydney from Adelaide earlier this year. We noticed a family sitting not far from us speaking in Polish, and when we lined up to get on the plane, they were right in front of us. One by one, they all stood aside, and only one young woman went through the gate. She started crying before we got to the plane, and we asked her if she was okay. Her story spilled out—she had been living in Australia for a few years and had just recently returned from Poland for her grandmother’s funeral before now having to go back a second time for her father’s funeral. My sister sat near her on the plane and was able to comfort her, and they have since connected on social media.
We both felt like it was one of those God moments—what were the odds that we, who speak Polish, just happened to stand near someone who desperately needed a listening ear on a long journey?
May we all let God use us in mysterious ways, not only in our own lives, but to impact the lives of others. May we be able to trust, to work with the whole mystery of it all, and rely upon the words of Scripture and the actions of Jesus Himself that promise us that He is working for our good. As William Cowper goes on to write, “When tears are great and comforts few, we hope in mercies ever new, we trust in You.”
Ashley Jankiewicz is an assistant editor for Adventist Record.
