English: Mr H. G. Spafford, founder of the American Colony, Jerusalem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Horatio Gates Spafford 1828-1888
Born: October 20, 1828, North Troy, New York.
Died: October 16, 1888, Jerusalem, Israel, of malaria.
It is well with my soul!
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
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, with my soul,It is well, 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, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. “When sorrows like sea billows roll … It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford’s life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.
Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. The Spaffords’ only
son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio
had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was
wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.
Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: “Saved alone.”
On November 2nd 1873, the ‘Ville de Havre’ had collided with ‘The Lochearn‘, an English vessel. It sank in only
12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters
Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being
torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a
plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up.
It is impossible for us to predict how we would react under such tragic circumstances experienced by the Spaffords. But … we do know that the God who sustained them and will sustain us. No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford…
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.
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, it is well, with my soul.
“Praise the Lord, O my soul.” Psalm 146:1 “… and forget not all His benefits!”
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Psalm 46:1-3
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.” Psalm 103: 1-6
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.Let your moderation be known unto all men.The Lord is at hand.Be careful for nothing;but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:4-7
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:not as the world giveth, give I unto you.Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. “John 14:27
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!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west and buries them in the deepest seas.
Another source of strength is the knowledge that God works all things together for good to them that love Him.
Romans 8:28
God’s unfailing love enables us to be masters of our circumstances, instead of its victim. Finally, the sure hope of the resurrection is an unbound source of strength. The hope of reunion with loved ones, the joy of seeing our Lord face to face supply strength enough and to spare to face all of life’s trials and fill us with “joy unspeakable and full of glory”
1 Peter 1:8.
May I ask you one question, Is it well with your soul?
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