Every morning after my yawning, stretching, and rubbing of the eyes, I hop out of bed to see the carefully painted wood sign sitting atop my dresser. “It is well with my soul” – those words to the familiar hymn stare back at me. As I read those piercing words, I feel a little tug at my heart as if they are reminding me to cling to the truth of their powerful message as I try to stay afloat during the craziness of the day.
I love that familiar hymn, but all too often I am ashamed to say I struggle to believe those convicting lyrics. Let’s all be honest. Life is tough! So many unplanned events and circumstances come blowing our way and seem to throw our all-too-sensitive ships off course. I’ve often found my mind whirling with questions that I have no right answer to . . . or so I thought.
I love that familiar hymn, but all too often I am ashamed to say I struggle to believe those convicting lyrics. Let’s all be honest. Life is tough! So many unplanned events and circumstances come blowing our way and seem to throw our all-too-sensitive ships off course. I’ve often found my mind whirling with questions that I have no right answer to . . . or so I thought.
- Why have the lives of some very good, Christian people been cut short by horrible illnesses?
- Why did my faithful, hard-working friend lose her job?
- Why is one of the most kindhearted people I know suffering from traumatizing health problems?
- Why when I worked so hard to reach out to someone did they just walk away?
- Why didn’t that seemingly perfect job work out?
The answer is God. Wait a minute . . . God??? Yes, God! God has a bigger plan and purpose for our lives than we could ever imagine. We don’t always understand the purpose, but the times of trial are to accomplish a greater good. If things were always smooth sailing, how would we ever learn to develop that faith with “nothing wavering” mentioned in James 1:6? We don’t have all the answers, but God does. He wants to mold us into the strong people that He wants us to be for His perfect plan and teach us to trust Him with NO exceptions. Like a potter has to put the clay through a process of working, reworking, and firing to fix the imperfections, so God may put us “through the fire” to mold and make us. Rather than asking “Why?” in the storms, we should ask, “God, what do you want me to learn?”
I love the story in the fourth chapter of John when the woman of Samaria (the Woman at the Well) finds Jesus. Jesus, speaking to the woman about the drinking water in the well, says, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
If we are finding ourselves overwhelmed with the “Whys???” of life, perhaps we have not been drinking from the right well. God is an everlasting fountain flowing with salvation, love, wisdom, strength, peace, hope, and joy for the difficult journey called life, but too often we neglect to “drink” from Him. Why don’t we cling to His promises? He says in Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” If we truly seek God, He will grant us that perfect peace that He promises that will allow us to truly say, “It is well with my soul,” regardless of what storms we might be facing. You see, happiness comes and goes depending on circumstances, but joy found in Christ is lasting!
The lyrics of the hymn were so beautifully penned by the wealthy, Chicago lawyer, Horatio Spafford, after losing his young son, facing a fire that destroyed almost every real estate investment he had, and receiving news that his four daughters had drowned in a ship collision. Despite his tragic circumstances, he chose to trust God, and the lyrics of his powerful song now give hope to countless thousands around the world who lift their voices to sing them.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7, “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.” That means peace that we can’t even begin to comprehend!
Which well are you drinking from today? The well that resides in your flustered, unstable mind? Or, the abundant well of Jesus Christ that offers peace that “passeth all understanding?” If we truly learned to cling with our hearts to the lyrics of that powerful hymn, I believe it would change the world! Can you truly say today, “It is well with my soul?”
Please Watch and Listen here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8_EfDqF7YI
- Why did my faithful, hard-working friend lose her job?
- Why is one of the most kindhearted people I know suffering from traumatizing health problems?
- Why when I worked so hard to reach out to someone did they just walk away?
- Why didn’t that seemingly perfect job work out?
The answer is God. Wait a minute . . . God??? Yes, God! God has a bigger plan and purpose for our lives than we could ever imagine. We don’t always understand the purpose, but the times of trial are to accomplish a greater good. If things were always smooth sailing, how would we ever learn to develop that faith with “nothing wavering” mentioned in James 1:6? We don’t have all the answers, but God does. He wants to mold us into the strong people that He wants us to be for His perfect plan and teach us to trust Him with NO exceptions. Like a potter has to put the clay through a process of working, reworking, and firing to fix the imperfections, so God may put us “through the fire” to mold and make us. Rather than asking “Why?” in the storms, we should ask, “God, what do you want me to learn?”
I love the story in the fourth chapter of John when the woman of Samaria (the Woman at the Well) finds Jesus. Jesus, speaking to the woman about the drinking water in the well, says, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
If we are finding ourselves overwhelmed with the “Whys???” of life, perhaps we have not been drinking from the right well. God is an everlasting fountain flowing with salvation, love, wisdom, strength, peace, hope, and joy for the difficult journey called life, but too often we neglect to “drink” from Him. Why don’t we cling to His promises? He says in Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” If we truly seek God, He will grant us that perfect peace that He promises that will allow us to truly say, “It is well with my soul,” regardless of what storms we might be facing. You see, happiness comes and goes depending on circumstances, but joy found in Christ is lasting!
The lyrics of the hymn were so beautifully penned by the wealthy, Chicago lawyer, Horatio Spafford, after losing his young son, facing a fire that destroyed almost every real estate investment he had, and receiving news that his four daughters had drowned in a ship collision. Despite his tragic circumstances, he chose to trust God, and the lyrics of his powerful song now give hope to countless thousands around the world who lift their voices to sing them.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7, “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.” That means peace that we can’t even begin to comprehend!
Which well are you drinking from today? The well that resides in your flustered, unstable mind? Or, the abundant well of Jesus Christ that offers peace that “passeth all understanding?” If we truly learned to cling with our hearts to the lyrics of that powerful hymn, I believe it would change the world! Can you truly say today, “It is well with my soul?”
Please Watch and Listen here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8_EfDqF7YI