It is Well
By Lexi Ellis
“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be
on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.”
Psalm
34:1-2 (NIV)
In the late 1800’s,
Horatio Spafford had it all: a thriving legal practice, wealthy real estate
investments, a loving wife and five children. And then it hit. In 1871, the
Spaffords’ son died and the Great Chicago Fire destroyed Horatio’s investments.
Horatio decided the family needed a vacation. When unexpected business came up,
he sent his wife and four daughters on the ship with plans to meet them
shortly. The boat collided and his four daughters drowned. Within two years,
Horatio and Anna Spafford buried all five of their children. [1]
It was in the midst of
this unspeakable disaster that Horatio wrote the well-known hymn, “It is Well
with My Soul.” There are two things that have been impactful for me. The first
is the phrase: “It is well with my soul.” I love that Spafford doesn’t
sugarcoat it. He was in the midst of immense mourning. He didn’t fake it and
say it is “golly, ol’ grand with my soul.” But he doesn’t allow bitterness to
overcome him. It hurts, it’s sad, it’s painful…but it is well. Why? The hymn
explains because of what Christ has done for us. It is well because Christ has
taken all of our sin, reconciled us with God and is coming back soon.
The other thing that so
impacts me in the hymn is that our God is in relationship with us, regardless
of our present circumstance. He is our God in times of happiness and in times
of sadness. Another worship song I love echoes that truth:
All of
my life, in every season,
You
are still God.
I have
a reason to sing,
I have
a reason to worship.
I will
bring praise. I will bring praise.
No
weapon formed against me shall remain.
I will
rejoice. I will declare. God is my victory and He is here.[2]
God meets us where we
are - - in the midst of joyous celebrations and unspeakable pain. Incredible. I
want my life song to be similar to Horatio Spafford’s beautiful hymn and be
able to say to my Lord every morning, “It is well.”
When
peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billow roll;
Whatever
my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul. [3]
GOING DEEPER:
1. Identify what kind
of “season” you are currently in.
2. What do you need to
do so you can honestly say “It is well with my soul” each morning?
FURTHER READING:
[1] http://www.faithclipart.com/guide/Christian-Music/hymns-the-songs-and-the-stories/it-is-well-with-my-soul-the-song-and-the-story.html
[2] Hillsong, “The Desert Song”
[3] For all the verses of the hymn sung by
Chris Rice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HLyhEdh92E&feature=related
Lexi is married to Andrew, has an adorable puppy named
Calvin, and serves with Children’s Ministries at Oakwood. She is the Fresh
Start Coordinator.
