Behind a Frowning Providence Faith Sees God’s Smiling Face

One of my favorite hymns of all time is by William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) a man who had great suffering but came to know His great Savior through it.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform
He Plants His footsteps on 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
[alternate: faith sees His smiling face]
His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

Some of God’s purposes and bright designs of His sovereign will He has been kind enough to unfold to us in His sweet grace this day. Providence is God’s predestinating and orchestrating of all things after His will (Ephesians 1:11), for His glory (Ephesians 3:20-21), and for the good of those He has sovereignly called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). This includes our ultimate good, which is being made more like Christ (Romans 8:29) and includes things that are not in and of themselves considered “good” by us, but things that God has good purposes in (Genesis 50:20). God doesn’t just permit things, He purposefully allows and intends something good in them for those who love God. Even the dreaded dark clouds that hymn speaks of are actually big with mercy – behind what looks to us like God’s frown in providence, there actually is God’s smiling face if we have the eyes of faith to see it.

As the Wilmarths and I left North America and hurricane Irene was impacting the eastern sea we flew out from, the storm reminded us of our God’s power. As the hymn says, “God plants His footsteps on the sea and rides upon the storm.” As we have been on the continent of Africa we have seen God’s power in other ways, and I want to share with you some of the ways God’s smiling face and big mercy has come through the clouds that I dreaded before I came:

- I initially wasn’t sure I wanted to still come to Africa since my initial focus was to bring home my adopted son, and since God took him before I could take him home, staying home would have been easier. After all, I had travel insurance to help me get up to $1,000 back from my tickets, and I knew it would be hard to go under the circumstances – however God’s will is rarely the easy way and as I prayed and read 2 Corinthians and gathered counsel from others, I was convinced there was much more potential good in coming than in staying.

- Since coming, I have been so humbled and touched by the African people here and can’t imagine the blessings I would have missed if I hadn’t come

- God has been so gracious to me in helping me take the focus off myself and my loss and onto serving and ministering to others

- One of the “clouds I so much dreaded” was honestly coming home on my return flight without my son, while my friends rejoice greatly at the airport … however in God’s big mercy I am actually very much looking forward to being of help to them and their 2-year-old twins on such a long journey where they will need all the grace and help they can get (40 hour-long-trip including layovers). Please pray for them and us that the clouds would be big with “travel mercies,” to adapt a line from William Cowper.

- I prayed that I would be able to encourage Didier and Annie by coming, and not only have they been greatly encouraged in their work and ministry, but God has used them to greatly encourage me even more in so many ways

- Traveling to the DRC to bury my son was a good enough reason to come, but God had much more in store in His big mercy, beyond what I could ask or think (Eph. 3:20-21, the Scripture I asked you to pray in light of, which I sense many of you have been, because I’m experiencing it)

- I hoped in some way I could be of help to future adoptions, and in God’s “unfathomable … never-failing skill … He works His sovereign will” in manifold ways

- The local government was very touched by my presence under the circumstances and said they would do whatever they could to help me and to help others we know to adopt in the future. Even people in authority who are not Christians have been moved to help us, which is a good reminder of the Proverb “the heart of a king is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord, He turns it whichever way He desires.” My presence as a pastor here along with Josie and Gabe has helped a number in significant positions to know Didier is trustworthy and this has been a big breakthrough of our time here and will be for the good for many orphans and Christian families adopting them in the future

- God providing key contacts for outgoing logistical details in our time here, has also been another big answer to prayer in line with Ephesians 3:20-21

- The Judge (who they call President here, because his power is highest) in God’s providence was just stationed in Lubumbashi in April, and said he suffered with me in the loss of Joseph, and wanted to help us in future adoptions. I was able to speak also for a family that will begin adopting from Didier’s orphanage in the future, Lord-willing. The judge spent nearly an hour with us in his home talking about things of the Lord, and how he feels God brought him here for this, and he wants to have a part in us in this ministry as we shared the vision of Didier and his orphanage. Didier said for someone in his high position to invite us to his home and for his wife to pray with us and for us, and for the judge to extend such favor to me and us as he did that night is unheard of and must be attributed to God.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform
He Plants His footsteps on 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 faith sees God's smiling face
His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.