“It Is Well”

Would you ever abandon your faith in God? What would it take to cause you to turn loose of Him? For many people faith in God is strong only when adversity is absent, but dangerously weak when hardships appear. Our faith is successfully tested when we face difficulties while trusting in God to lead us through them.

The well-known story of the song, It Is Well With My Soul, is a favorite of mine because it helps remind me of what it really means to have faith in God. Horatio Spafford was a successful businessman who suffered tremendous losses in the great Chicago fire of 1871. As therapy for his wife, who had witnessed people suffer and die in that event, Spafford set out to take his family on a ship to Europe.

Departure day arrived but Horatio was called back on urgent business. He sent his wife and daughters on their way to Europe. During their trip a collision occurred with another ship and 226 people perished as their ship went down. Mrs. Spafford survived, but their four daughters did not. Her telegram to her husband simply said, “Survived alone.”

Heartbroken, Spafford boarded the next ship to go meet his wife. As the ship passed over the spot of the wreck, the captain called for Horatio so he could grieve his loss at that location. Through his obvious grief he soon managed to write the following lyrics that are so well known today.

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is a very beautiful song and becomes even more significant when we realize that it was born in the midst of a personal tragedy. We each have times when the sorrows of this world threaten to capsize our faith like the rogue waves of a stormy sea. Will our faith survive or will it perish? That is up to you.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” Psalm 27:1. I trust in the Lord, and whatever my circumstances, I will trust Him and say, “It is well, with my soul.” I encourage you to do the same.

Selected – Author Unknown