IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
I love hymns so much, not because I was born
in the Anglican Church or that my grandfather was a Reverend but because hymns
are melodious, deep and inspiring. It gives u a kind of a preview to what it’s
like in heaven. My best worship and praise songs are hymns, no wonder I have
hymn books both in English and Yoruba. We sing these songs without knowing the
story or inspiration behind the compositions.
One
of the most emotional and soul lifting hymn of all times is the hymn ALL WILL
BE WELL, composed by Horatio Spafford (Oct 20 1820-Oct 16 1888). He was a
prominent lawyer in Chicago; he composed this song after a great tragedy in
which he lost four of his daughters. Can you imagine such a man still having a
great hope and trust in God?
Horatio
spafford married Hannah spafford on sept 5 1861 in Chicago. The Spaffords began
their tragic experiences with the death of their only son from scarlet fever at
the age of four in 1870; they lost all of their investment in real estate to
the great Chicago fire of 1871. Then the biggest trial! In 1873, Spafford
decided that his family should go to England for a holiday; he couldn’t go with
them due to some business engagements so he sent his wife and four daughters
ahead with the plan to join them later. 11
year old Anna,
9yr
old Margaret Lee, 5yr old Elizabeth, 2yr old Tanetta all perished in the
tragedy.
“On November 22, 1873, while crossing
the Atlantic on the steamship Ville du Havre, their ship was struck by an iron
sailing vessel and 226 people lost their lives including all four of spafford’s
daughters. Hanna Spafford survived the tragedy” Wikipedia
Horatio
wrote the song on his way to England to meet the wife after receiving a
telegram from her. “Survived alone”. The couple later gave birth to three more
children.
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot thou has thought me to say
Its well it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though satan 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.
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!
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.
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
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’s well with my soul.
So people of God, even in this
dark time in our country and some individual lives, let’s have faith in God
that all is well. What other choice do we
have anyway. May God almighty give us the strenght and enablement to trust
in Him at all times. Shalom.
No comments:
Post a Comment