It Is Well

Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭- Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

I posted awhile back one verse from the hymn It Is Well With My Soul. I was listening to this song in my car the other day. I want to post all the lyrics this time and a little background on how the song came about.

The writer, Horatio Spafford, was a successful businessman living in Chicago. He lost his only son at the age of two in the great Chicago fire. This was followed by an economic downturn. Both occurrences devastated him financially. He and his family already had a vacation overseas planned but he needed to attend to business matters so he sent his wife and four daughters on ahead of him. Their ship collided with another causing it to sink very quickly. His wife survived, but all four of his daughters perished. As he traveled to meet his wife he wrote the well known song. 

Spafford was a devoted Christian and it does certainly appear that his faith in God surfaced mightily. When we are faced with tragedy of any kind, there is only one place to go...on our knees, and pray to our Father in Heaven for His strength and comfort. Did Spafford question why? Did he get angry? We all grieve differently and perhaps he might have...but in the end, he relied on God and His Word to get him through. This is the amazing power of God, through Christ and His Word...if we know it and it is written upon our hearts and minds, we already know where our comfort lies. If we know Christ and He dwells within our hearts (and He is also the Word that dwells there), we are assured of peace. 

Now the lyrics:

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 well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

It can be so well with all our souls. No matter, as Spafford said, what our lot might be, if we have God securely dwelling within our hearts, our souls will be well. Jesus paid the price for all of us if we so desire to acknowledge Him so that we can have forgiveness of sins, peace in trials and more...and have the blessed assurance, the hope that comes from being in 
Christ. There is nothing...nothing...more important than Christ. If you don't know Him today you may not handle a trial. You may not have the peace that passes all human understanding. It's good to know Him now. Then you will instantly know where to turn.

John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭- These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

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