After 400 years with God leading them, the people of Israel begged for a king.

God gave them Saul, then David, and the royal line marched on. But leaders are humans. Humans are sinners. Only with God is law perfect, decisions just, timing right, and outcomes — though not always initially desirable — what He deems best.

The beautiful words of the hymn “Day by Day” paint a comforting picture of God’s kingship over the universe. It reads, “Trusting in My Father’s wide bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure, Gives unto each day what He deems best.”

Lina Sandell Berg did not write those words blindly. At twenty-six, she watched her beloved father drown after falling off a lurching ship. Her tragic experience could have turned her away from God. Instead, like the psalmist David, she worked through her pain with Him. She continued to write hymns, many of which reflect her healing heart. She kept God King over her life.

Regardless of circumstance, of what pain or joy comes to us, we can resolve that God’s law is perfect, His decisions are just, His timing is right. He only allows for us what “He deems best.”