"It Is Well" (Part 1)

My all-time favorite hymn is “It Is Well With My Soul”. Composed by Horatio Spafford and published in 1876, it holds some profound truth that I delight in. Its origin comes from a heartbreaking tragedy in Spafford’s life - the loss of his four daughters in a shipwreck. Spafford found refuge in his faith through this song which covers themes resonating with loss, temptation, hope, faith, and acceptance. Over the next few days, I’m going to be breaking down each of the verses and their implications in our lives as Christians.

Let’s break down the first verse:

We begin with the most popular and well-known verse in the hymn. We see throughout the hymn this poetic expression of faith in the face of life’s trials. There is some powerful imagery of nature here. We see peace being depicted as a river which we also see in Isaiah 48:18, “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river.” That river flows in a serene way - one could only imagine the pure beauty of nature here.

Meanwhile, the second line depicts the sorrows of life like a harsh storm. This contrasts the peaceful river depicted in Isaiah 48:18 by painting a picture for us of the challenges, pain, and suffering we may encounter. The sea is chaotic. It is an unknown entity. This relates to the trials of our life being unpredictable and relentless in nature.

It seems like the waves won’t stop crashing. It seems like stepping out into the unknown is frightening. Our faith is tested in these sea billows.

However, we get to a powerful line as we move past the contrast between the peaceful river and the sorrowful sea billows. “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say” suggests an acceptance of life’s highs and lows through trusting that God is in control. We see this play out in Philippians 4:11-12 where Paul writes, “I have learned whatever situation I am to be content.”

Finally, we arrive at the phrase that is spoken countlessly throughout the hymn, “It is well, it is well, with my soul!” This expresses powerful inner peace that surpasses all of our understanding. We recognize that in life’s storms, we have been taught by Christ Himself to echo these words of spiritual wellness in the midst of suffering. And this spiritual wellness is only found in putting our faith and trust in Him.

Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The entire hymn echoes this transformative power of faith throughout. When we keep our eyes on Him in the midst of life’s storms, we find solace.

What a powerful message to live life by: “Whether life goes well or is full of trouble, my soul is at peace because of what Christ has done on the cross!”

It is well! To God be the glory.

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I pray that your day is full of reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. May you faithfully build your life on Christ.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

To God be the glory,

Coach T