He Maketh No Mistake

When I was eighteen, I was in a skiing accident that devastated my day-to-day practices and plans. And many were those plans (Prov. 19:21). My life came to a standstill, while my world contentedly moved on without me. Crushing was the thought of how I could have sidestepped this series of unfortunate events. This left me wondering about destiny and decision-making. Would this mistake change the direction of my life? It’s possible to remember Romans 8:28 and still functionally believe, “It’s all chance, chance rules our lives” (Oedipus Rex). Have you ever felt replaceable, forgotten, or doomed by a mistake?

When we search the Scriptures, we find James saying: “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills’ ” (4:14–15). To find rest in the biblical truth, however, we must ask, What does the Lord will?

Simplifying the mystery of this question, Dr. R.C. Sproul answered: “The primary leading of the Spirit in Scripture is leading where? To holiness.” Throughout Scripture, it is the Lord who initiates and reveals who He is and consequently what He requires. It is the Lord who also provides the means. There are times when we need humble reminders of our humanity: we are limited and needy. There are also times when we need a deeper understanding of God’s unique control: He is not ignorant of or uncaring about our needs. In love, He shows us what it means that only He is God by taking on our humanity in the person of Christ. He is a Shepherd who not only understands but also intervenes.

This reorients how we approach our disappointments and fears. Through His church, God displays His corporate and unique care for us. The promises we find in Scripture are made to this corporate body. Paul teaches, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27). Your individual needs and your unique giftings are not forgotten but are found in one place, the hand of a loving and patient Father. God’s provisions display the unmatched strength and detail of a holy God, who through Christ calls us into His holiness. And as He continues to fit us for it, He makes no mistakes.

A.M. Overton penned the poem “He Maketh No Mistake” at the funeral of his wife and newborn in 1932. He was left with three other young children and a church to pastor. Set to music, these heartfelt words can now be heard and sung: “My Father’s way may twist and turn, My heart may throb and ache, But in my soul I’m glad to know, He maketh no mistake.” This assurance allows us to say with confidence, “My times are in your hand” (Ps. 31:15). Christian, are the promises to God’s church for you? Paul offers a resounding yes in his letters to the struggling Corinthian church: “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20).