‘God Makes No Mistakes’
Religion & Liberty Online

‘God Makes No Mistakes’

‘God Makes No Mistakes’

You may not know it, but Loretta Lynn is a pretty good theologian. She’s so good, in fact, that some contemporary theologians, open theists like Clark Pinnock, for example, could take some lessons in orthodoxy.

The lyrics to a song off her most recent record, Van Lear Rose, that illustrates her high view of God. Here are the words to “God Makes No Mistakes”:

Why, I’ve heard people say
Why is this tree bent
Why they don’t have God enough to know
That’s the way that it was meant
why is this little baby born
all twisted and out of shape
We’re not to question what he does
God makes no mistakes

Why I’ve heard people say
Why is my child blind
Why is that old drunk still livin
When a daddy like mine is dyin
our blessed father gives us life
has the power to take it away
There’s no reason for what he does
God makes no mistakes

Why I’ve heard people say
God cannot be alive
And all the things people say
Has to be a lie
When they’re down and out
And they need a hand
And their very souls at stake
If they’ll call on him and just believe
God makes no mistakes

Remind you of anything from the Bible? How about Job chapter 42:1-6 and its surrounding context (NIV):

Then Job replied to the LORD:

“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Jordan J. Ballor

Jordan J. Ballor (Dr. theol., University of Zurich; Ph.D., Calvin Theological Seminary) is director of research at the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, an initiative of the First Liberty Institute. He has previously held research positions at the Acton Institute and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and has authored multiple books, including a forthcoming introduction to the public theology of Abraham Kuyper. Working with Lexham Press, he served as a general editor for the 12 volume Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology series, and his research can be found in publications including Journal of Markets & Morality, Journal of Religion, Scottish Journal of Theology, Reformation & Renaissance Review, Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Faith & Economics, and Calvin Theological Journal. He is also associate director of the Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research at Calvin Theological Seminary and the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity & Politics at Calvin University.