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Saturday, May 24, 2014

It is Well with My Soul


2 Corinthians 4:1-15

 
In 1871 the Great Chicago Fire destroyed most of the real estate holdings of a wealthy attorney by the name of Horatio Spafford. This was shortly after the tragic death of his young son. Then in 1873, his wife and four daughters set sail for a European vacation to recover from this tragedy.

Before he could join them he received word that their ship had a collision and all of his daughters had drowned. En route to England to join his grieving wife he wrote It is Well with My Soul. Feel his words as he cried out in pain to his loving Father who had sacrificed His own son.

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

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For God… has made us understand that it is the brightness of His glory that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But this precious treasure is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies… these bodies of ours are constantly facing death just as Jesus did; so it is clear to all that it is only the living Christ within who keeps us safe”.

And because of this Paul also wrote, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going”.               
                                                                       2 Corinthians 4:6-10          The Living Bible

These words were not just words on a page for Horatio Spafford. They were words to live by in the most difficult times of his life. He believed in the God who inspired Paul to write these words. He believed in the God who loved him and his family. He believed in the God who was always with him. He believed not just with his head, but with his heart and soul.

I don’t know how I would respond to a tragedy like this. For me, the little details of daily living can trigger me in the wrong direction. But Paul’s verses and the words of this hymn inspire me to continue to follow my God because no matter what happens, it is well with my soul.

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