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It is Well With My Soul, A Hymn to Live By

by Abby Kelly
5/05/2014 / Devotionals

Do you know the song, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart"? Kind of makes you feel like smiling, right?

We often sing because we're happy. Psalm 100:1 tells us, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord." Singing is one of the primary ways we worship God. When we're happy we just feel like singing!

But have you ever not felt like singing? When we're sad, hurt or angry, it can be really hard to "make a joyful noise". There's a story in the Bible about Paul and his friend Silas in prison. That's obviously not a very happy place, and I doubt they felt like singing. All the same, Acts 16 says they began to sing out loud in their jail cells. Guess what? God did a miracle, broke their chains, set them free and even gave them an opportunity to tell the jailer about Jesus!

Horatio Spafford was the author of a well-known hymn. His life is an example of finding hope and peace in Jesus even when everything is going wronghe even found the courage to sing.

Mr. Spafford was a successful lawyer in Chicago in the late 1800's. He and his wife had four children. But their only son died of scarlet fever at the age of four. The very next year, a terrible fire in Chicago destroyed many of Mr. Spafford's investments. Then, only two years later, the Spafford family planned a holiday to England where they hoped to hear one of Mr. Spafford's friends preach. A business issue arose last minute, so Mr. Spafford sent his wife and three daughters ahead, planning to join them later.

On November 22, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the steamship Ville du Havre, their ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel. Two-hundred and twenty-six people died, including all three of the Spafford's daughters. Only Horatio's wife, Anna, was saved. As soon as she could, she sent a message to her husband that simply said, "Saved alone."

Horatio Spafford left for England to join his wife. As his own ship passed over the area where his daughters had lost their lives, his heart must have ached. I wonder if he thought of Paul and Silas in prison. I wonder if he struggled to find words to pray. With great sadness, he pulled out a pen and wrote the words to a hymn we still sing today, "It is Well With My Soul".

Sometimes, it's really hard to believe that God is good. Sometimes we simply don't feel like praising God. How do you think Horatio Spafford or Paul and Silas found the courage to sing praises even when they were suffering?

Psalm 117:1-2 says, "Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!" (emphasis added)

These men could sing because they understood that even when we hurt and things don't make sense, God is trustworthy and He will always love us. Because of that, He is worthy of praise.

The next time you're sad, and singing is the last thing you want to do, try singing Mr. Spafford's hymn. It will remind you that no matter what, when you trust in Jesus, it is well with your soul.

Click here for the lyrics to this hymn. Click here to listen to the full hymn.

Learn more about me on my website: http://predatory-lies.com/about-me/

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Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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