O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you.
—2 Samuel 7:22
I confess that I do not know how to reconcile God’s sovereignty with humanity’s free will—but I believe in both. I admit that I cannot explain how God’s providence operates—especially in human suffering—but I believe it does.
I believe that happenings that seem confusing—and even unfair—somehow fit into God’s providential plan.
After bouts of despair, depression, and attempted suicide, William Cowper found comfort in the Bible and wrote:
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.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
Nothing is happening on earth
that brings a surprise to heaven.