I'd like to take a little time to revisit the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul." Last fall, the first paper I ever wrote for Bible Study Methods was on this beautiful hymn by Horatio Spafford. I will not include the full text of the song lyrics here, but I would highly recommend reading them.
To begin, let's take a look at the background of the hymn. Before writing this, Spafford went through some tremendous hardships: the death of his two-year-old son, financial ruin in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, and the deaths of his daughters in a shipwreck. He was first inspired to write the song while traveling to meet his wife, who had survived the sinking of the ship, in England. It has been suggested that he wrote it two years later; regardless, it was the great tragedies in his life that led Spafford to pen the words of this hymn.
I will focus on the first verse in the rest of my analysis, but the confidence to say "It is well with my soul" is present throughout the entire song. In the second verse, it mentions how Christ has seen how helpless we are, and sacrificed Himself for our souls; that is the "blest assurance" that stays with us in all trials. The song then continues to explain in turn that all of our sins died on the cross with Jesus, that we should live in Christ, and look forward to the day when Christ will come again.
Zooming in on the first verse, it is quite likely that the water analogies were drawn from the deaths of Spafford's daughters in the ocean, especially "when sorrows like sea billows roll." Even though Spafford had not received the best of lots, he still trusted God, and was comforted: "Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say / It is well, it is well, with my soul."
What principles can we take from this song, then, and apply to our lives? It really shows a core theme of trusting in the Lord, whatever happens, and to rest in the knowledge of His care for us and plans for the future. Spafford endured terrible losses in his life, both in the practical sense (losing his investments) and in his family (his first five children died), and what does he have to say? "It is well, it is well, with my soul." The basic principle I take away from this hymn is that God is dependable and loving, so He is always trustworthy and will take care of us.
But we can't leave off yet. Let's see what the Bible has to say on this topic. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NIV) says that we should "rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances," which is consistent with the idea of trusting God and being content in all situations. And again, as Romans 3:28 (NIV) tells us, "in all things God works for the good of those who love him," so even in times of sorrow and suffering, we can trust that it will eventually lead to good, and we can therefore be at peace in our hearts.
