New Year’s Day hymn: “God moves in a myterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines of neverfailing 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. 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, 1774)
Only a person who had known personal sadness and had to rely on understanding of God’s sovereignty and His true blessings could have penned these words. William Cowper was one of two surviving children of the seven his parents had, and his mother died in childbirth when William was very young. He showed much aptitude for reading and writing very early. It is said he suffered from depression and even attempted suicide three times.
Another hymn for the new year is “I Look to Thee in Every Need” written in 1864 by Samuel Longfellow. He was a Unitarian preacher and younger brother of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. May these words bring in the new year’s spirit: “I look to Thee in eery need and never look in vain; I feel Thy strong and tender love, and all is well again: The thought of Thee is mightier far Than sin and pain and sorrow are. Discouraged in the work of life, disheartened by its load, Shamed by its failures or its fear, I sink beside the road; But let me only think of Thee and then new heart springs up in me. Thy calmness bends serene above, My restlessness to still; Around me flows Thy quickening life, to nerve my faltering will: Thy presence fills my solitude; Thy providence turns all to good. Enfolded deep in Thy dear love, Held in Thy law, I stand; Thy hand in all things I behold, and all things in Thy hand; Thou leadest me by unsought ways, and turnest my mourning into praise.”
As we begin 2015, may we encourage each other to recognize and praise God’s sovereignty, seek to live without fear of the future or our individual situations (the Bible says 365 times that we are to fear not!), and to spend our lives in service to the Lord who loves us and to all those we are sent to influence in this new year.
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