It Is Well With My Soul (Bedroom Demo #255) (Patreon)

"It Is Well With My Soul"

words:  Horatio Spafford

melody: ‘Ville du Havre’ by Philip Bliss

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

chorus:

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 blessed assurance control

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate

And has shed His own blood for my soul

chorus

My sin, (oh the bliss of this glorious thought!),

My sin, not a part, but a whole

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul!

chorus

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

chorus

guitar and vocals: T.S. Taylor

note:

Recently Joel, a member of our Patreon family, wrote to me requesting the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” In his message, Joel shared how, as of late, he found himself often pondering this particular hymn “….because of the [tragic] story that goes along with it,” and “….[the lyrics] astound me as I ponder my own recent loss.”

While “ All Is Well With My Soul” is yet another hymn which appears in a variety of hymnals and is a powerful and moving song, it isn’t one that immediately comes to mind when I think of the most familiar hymns. In fact, I doubt I would have considered including it in our series if Joel hadn’t brought it to my attention and, being unfamiliar with the history of this hymn, I was intrigued by Joel’s reference to the “tragic story” which inspired it. Once I looked it up and read it I knew there was no way I could not include the song; its relevance to our nations', (and the world’s), ongoing and seemingly worsening plight, is quite obvious. I can’t overstate how amazed, surprised, stunned, deeply moved and, yes, convicted I was by the extraordinary events contained within in the story, as well as the enduring faith and trust which triumphed over what was no doubt the hymn writer’s initial free-fall into the abyss of despair. As for myself, I must say that despite the tragic aspects of the story’s contents, I’ve also been spiritually challenged and energized by it. I trust you will be, too.

“It Is Well With My Soul” was written in 1873 by a successful Chicago lawyer named Horacio Spafford, after the occurrence of several unimaginably traumatic events in his life. The first of these was the death of his four year old son in The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The fire also ruined Spafford financially since he had invested significantly in many properties in the area. His business interests were further obliterated by the economic downturn in the same year as The Great Fire. 1871 was also the year that Spafford planned to sail to England with his family and there assist D.L. Moody with his upcoming evangelistic campaigns. Delayed by business concerns, Spafford sent his family ahead. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship sank after a collision with another ship, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone…”

Shortly afterward as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write the words to his hymn as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. The composer of the song’s melody, Philip Bliss, called his tune Ville du Havre, the name of the stricken vessel in which Spafford’s daughters were drowned at sea

I must confess that when I reread the words of the hymn after reading this story, I felt a sense of conviction and shame washing over me. How easily my faith and trust has sometimes faltered in the face of circumstances that don’t even begin to compare to that of this man and his wife. The smallest things can disrupt our confidence in Christ’s promise to never leave us or forsake us; fear of newer and more deadly viruses, a culture collapsing under the weight of self-worship and political and cultural intolerance, racial division, war, crime, and financial collapse have seemingly rendered the words “Do not fear, I am with you always,” hollow, void of any real world relevance.

The magnitude of the hymn writer’s loss is unimaginable yet, like Job, Spafford remained faithful and true in the face of horror and despair. His unfaltering trust in God’s providence, love, and restorative power not only inspired him to write a hymn which has stood the test of time, but also one that has no doubt inspired millions of people around the world to rise above their own tragic circumstances by trusting in the One who will one day wipe away every tear from their eyes. How can I, or you, avoid the question the words to this song beg: Would this kind of unimaginable loss drive me into the arms of my Savior, or would it drive me into the arms of bitterness and despair? None of us should be too confident that the answer would be the former. God forbid any of us face this kind of testing, but should it be otherwise let us pray that our relationship with our Lord is one that will endure even this.

“Though He slay me, yet will I praise him.”-Job

* I have attempted to capture some of Horatio Spafford’s pain and grief in the performance of his hymn. I hope and pray I have done him honor.