John Newton, whose life we looked at yesterday, mentored a man called William Cowper (1731–1800). Cowper had experienced tragedy. His mother died when he was six. His father died while Cowper was still young. He was educated at Westminster School and qualified as a barrister. Outwardly he was successful. However, he suffered from serious depression. When applying for an administrative post in the House of Lords that entailed a formal examination, he was so disturbed by the prospect of the exam he attempted suicide. For the rest of his life he suffered from mental illness and was sometimes confined to asylums.

When he was in his thirties, Cowper came under the care of John Newton. Newton encouraged Cowper to compose hymns. He wrote powerfully of the joys and sorrows of everyday life. In 1774 he suffered such a severe episode of mental illness that he was prevented from entering his intended marriage to Mary Unwin. He was crestfallen. Shortly afterwards, in perhaps his most famous hymn, he wrote:

God is good. God is love. God loves you. God has revealed himself in Jesus. All this we know. Then you read passages in the Bible that don’t seem to fit with your understanding of God. You have experiences in life that don’t seem to fit either.

You cannot put God in a box. He is far greater than you could ever conceive. Some passages in the Bible are mysterious. Jesus said on one occasion, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand’ (John 13:7). Sometimes that understanding may come in our lifetime. Some things we will only understand when we meet the Lord.

How should you respond to the mysterious ways of God?