The Peace of Contentment

The hymn “It Is Well” by Horatio G Spafford has been one of my favorites. I heard the story behind the song when I was young and it has always inspired me. In the midst of horrible circumstances, the writer continued to trust God. Even though he tragically lost all of his children, he had peace that God is in control and He is good. He didn’t know why any of the horrible things happened, but he had faith that God would work it all out for good. That is how I want my life to be, defined by the quiet trust and peace that our loving God is in control.

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.”

No matter what life throws at us, no matter what happens, we can trust God. He can teach us to trust in Him, to be able to say whole heartedly, “It’s ok, it will be alright. I trust God and rest in His plan.” I know how hard it is to lose children. The pain is life changing, but I also know the peace that comes with surrendering my grief to God and allowing Him to have His way in my life, trusting that no matter what comes He has me in His hands. As Job said, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?...The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 2:10, 1:21)

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul.

Temptations will come. The more we seek after God the harder satan will try to make us fall. He hates anything like God, and especially those who turn away from sin and toward God. It is his goal in life to keep us away from God if possible. We will be tempted, we will even fall at times. We will experience trials and hard times, but what should control our hearts and our faith is the assurance that Christ knows everything that has happened to us and loved us so much that He willingly died to save us. He shed His blood so that we wouldn’t have to. He paid our debt. We should live every moment with that blessed assurance in the front of our minds, controlling our feelings and actions. We will not fall into deep depression or despair if we do.

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part, but the whole

Was nailed to the cross and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

This is my favourite line in the whole song! What a glorious thought that we do not have to bear our sin and pay the debt of our crime! If we believe in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice and have surrendered our lives to Him, that is our reality! We may still experience some consequences for our previous actions, but we do not have to pay the full wages of our sin, being eternal death. That is what Jesus did! That is what His love for us did! Praise the Lord!

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!

Someday, someday our trials, temptations and sufferings here will end. Someday what for us is trust in the unseen will be brought to fruition. We will see what we have believed in, receive what we have hoped for, experience what we have waited for. One day He will return and set all to right, we will leave this sin-filled earth and spend eternity with Him in perfection and paradise! As we wait for that day, enduring what is here, we can still say, “It is well.” We can be content in what God has for us here, knowing that it will one day end.

No matter what our circumstances are, we can choose to say, “It is well with my soul.”

It Is Well. Horatio G Spafford, 433, The Rejoice Hymnal.