Sunday's Hymn and a Thankful November: God's Providence

One stone, two birds.

Continuing with hymns that fulfill the admonition to teach one another with our songs, this week’s doctrine presented in a hymn is the doctrine of God’s providence, which tells us that God is always involved in everything that goes on in his creation. He sustains and directs everything so that it all fulfills his purposes.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

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.

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.

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.

—-William Cowper (Listen)

 Here are a few previous posts on God’s providence: 

• God’s Sovereignty
  
• Getting Your Theology on Track
  
• On Preparing for Suffering and Evil from D. A. Carson: Part 1, Part 2

I’m thankful for God’s providence. It gives order to the universe and meaning to all of life’s circumstances. It means we can be thankful in everything. Nothing is too trivial for our thanksgiving, since God works in the minute details of his creation, managing and ordering it for his good purposes. And even in adversity, we can be thankful, because our difficult circumstance are part of his plan for us and have his good purposes behind them, or as today’s hymn says, “Behind a frowning providence, [God] hides a smiling face.”

Other thankful folk

• Columbine is thankful that “We made it home safe and sound to Colorado…. I am also thankful that last night both my husband I and were able to get in over 5 hours of sleep.”
• Candyinsierras is thankful for her leatherman knife.
• Kim is thankful for the talents God has given her son, “the willingness he has to share his work, the way he asks for and receives feedback and his wonderful imagination.”
• Carla is thankful for godly leaders.
• Connie is thankful “for the living hope [God] has given me through Christ Jesus! Only Christ satisfies this thirsty soul.”
• Lana G is thankful for her camera.
  

To participate in this month’s theme of thanksgiving:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• O Thou from Whom All Goodness Flows at joythruChrist
• The Collect for the Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity at Magic Statistics
• There’s Just Something about that Name at The Happy Wonderer
• Lord’s Day 45, 2007 at The Thirsty Theologian
  
• The Church’s One Foundation at Hiraeth
• Revive Thy Work, O Lord at Seasoning of the Heart
• In the Cross of Christ I Glory at Thoughts from the Teahouse
• Our God, Our Help in Ages Past at Whatever Things…
• Blest Be the Tie That Binds at Lux Venit
  

Have you posted a hymn this Sunday and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

A Thankful November: Tools

We  have lots and I’m thankful for them. When it comes to doing projects, we usually have all the tools we need. Quite frequently, we have friends who come over to use our tools for projects they are working on, and I’m thankful we can help people out that way. When youngest son painted the garage last summer, he used our scaffolding to do it, which meant he was safer than he would have been without it. It’s a blessing to have what we need to be safe and do our work without having to worry about it.

 
Other thankful folk 

• Ann B has a list of thanksgiving verses.
  

Why don’t you participate in being thankful with us? Here’s how:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.
  

A Thankful November: No Fear

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

 Yep, I don’t have to fear dying. And for the most part, I don’t.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’s name. 

My hope is not a fleeting desire for something in the future, but it’s hope in the more archaic, biblical sense of the word: a firm confidence or assurance of joyous everlasting life. My hope gives me no fear of death, and it’s a rock-solid assurance because it doesn’t rest on my own feeling, even my own best feelings (or sweetest frame), which can be fickler than sunshine during a Vancouver winter, but on Christ’s perfect, historical work. The foundation on which the firm assurance of my joyous future is built is Jesus’ blood (his sin-bearing death in my place) and his righteousness (his perfect record of obedience counted as my own).

It’s through trusting in Jesus’s Name (that’s short-hand, sort of, for what Jesus has done—his work, what he accomplished) that I have no fear of death. After all, he took my sin and gave me his righteousness. What would I be afraid of?

Today I’m thankful for that. Christ’s work, and all the good things that come with it, including deliverance from the fear of death, is the centerpiece—wouldn’t you say?—of God’s good gifts to us.

Other thankful folk 

• Ann B is thankful for answers to prayer.
  
• Bugblaster is thankful that he’s learning humility through Scrabble, at least I think that’s what he said.
• Islandsparrow is “thankful for the Internet as well - and facebook - that’s how I keep track of my traveling boys!”
• Juanita is thankful for friends.
• Cheryl is thankful for dog walks, too.

  I just came in from walking my dog Piper (after John) in the forest perserves near my home. I treasure that time with my buddy and with God. There is something to be said for walking your dog under God’s beautiful sky! I am so thankful to Him.
  

• Connie is thankful that God has redeemed (and is redeeming) one of her daughters. There’s more, too, so read her post.
• Carla is thankful for work.
• Kim in ON is thankful for girl talk.
• Kim of Hiraeth is thankful for good results from Ivy’s blood work, and Trader Joe’s Pure Liquid Castile Soap.

Doesn’t that list make you thankful, too? Why don’t you participate in being thankful with us? Here’s how:

• Mention something you’re thankful for in the comments here, and I’ll include it in one of my thanksgiving posts, or
  
• Email me to tell me what you’re thankful for and I’ll include it in one of the thankful posts, or
• You may post your thankful thought(s) on your own blog and send me the link(s), and I’ll link to your post.
• If you’ve posted something thankful and I missed it, please remind me.