Today our church was blessed to have Natalie Grant perform during our services. She ended services with the most beautiful rendition of “It is Well with My Soul”, that left me in tears. What is even more inspiring is the story behind the lyrics written by Horatio Spafford.
Horatio G. Spafford was a lawyer in Chicago in the late 1800’s, he experienced loss first hand at the death of his young son to scarlet fever, followed shortly after with the loss of their home to the great fire of 1871. A few years later his family was going to travel to England to assist the famous D.L. Moody in an evangelistic campaign when his wife and four daughters set sail before him. The tragedy that would befall him cannot be imagined, the ship wrecked and only his wife survived. Horatio upon discovering the news, set sail to meet his wife, and it was while he was crossing the Atlantic where his daughters had drowned, he penned “When sorrows like sea billows roll…” The hymn “It is Well with My Soul” was born. One would imagine after suffering so much loss that a person would not be able to write such beautiful lyrics saying that, it is well. Yet through these tragedies Horatio was able to cling to the only person who could comfort his soul. It is when you fall into God’s bottomless love; you lose your worries and cares and are only surrounded by his grace, mercy and love. How beautiful that in the following stanzas, Horatio reminds us there’s more to this life, whatever trials and tribulations we encounter here on earth, will fall to the ground forgotten and be forever erased from our minds with the glorious returning of our savior and King, oh it is well with my soul!!
It is Well
by Horatio G. Spafford
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, 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, 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, it is well, with my soul.
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of 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.