“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.”
To say “It is well, it is well, with my soul” seems so contrary to the circumstance in the line, “when sorrows like sea billows roll.”
“
It is well” just doesn’t seem to conclude the emotion expressed adequately.
Yet, it fits perfectly.
The man who wrote the this song, Horatio G. Spafford was a businessman, lawyer, husband and father. Between the years of 1871 and 1873, Mr. Spafford and his wife, Anna lost all five of their children.
These lyrics of soul restoration were written on a ship situated over the location where his four children and wife went down in their ship four days prior. His wife the only survivor of the five.
This song paints so beautifully, the complex reality of the peace of God.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 4:7
As followers of Christ, we are not promised freedom from loss of a loved one, tension within our family or friends, diagnosis of cancer, loneliness, etc. However, we are promised peace with God and grace from God. And through the trials we encounter, our suffering will produce endurance, and endurance, character and character, hope and our hope will not be put to shame because
“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit whom he gave to us…” whom we have access to (Romans 5: 1-6, See also John 16:4-15).
This is the wildly complex, yet humanly simple reality expressed in Horatio G. Spafford’s carefully crafted words:
“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.”
For those who have placed faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, tragedy is not the end of the story.
Written by the ever-so-lovely Rebecca Singer.