It Is Well With My Soul
- Author: Horatio Gates Spafford (1828-1888)
- Composer: Philip P. Bliss
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Imagine that everything in your life is perfect: you have a thriving career, five lovely children, and a wonderful marriage. Would you be able to tell God that all is well in your soul? Imagine that everything has been removed, leaving you and your grieving spouse to tend to your terribly shattered hearts. Would praying “It is well with my soul” to God then be just as simple? But it is the compelling truth that underlies this timeless hymn, a truth that gives the heart-wrenching words even greater conviction.
In the 1870s, Horatio Spafford was a successful Chicago lawyer. He had a wife named Anna and five children. Early in 1871, one of Mr. Spafford’s children, his only son, died suddenly and left the entire family devastated. Spafford had invested heavily in real estate and, as if to add insult to injury, he lost most of his properties as well as his life savings during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Spafford desperately needed a rest, so in 1873 he planned a trip to Europe with his wife and four daughters. Last minute business caused Spafford to delay his departure, but he sent his wife and daughters on the S.S. Ville Du Havre as scheduled, promising to follow in a few days. Having gone to New York and after boarding the ship, an uneasy feeling caused him to have the family’s cabins changed to the bow of the ship. I would be just a few days later, at two in the morning, that the ship would be cut in two right at the cabins the Spaffords had left. On November 22, the ship was struck by the English ship Lochearn, and it sank in twelve minutes. 244 souls perished that day, including all four of Spafford’s daughters. If the changing of cabins hadn’t happened, she too would have died. Several days later, what little survivors there were, landed at Cardiff, Wales. Spafford’s wife Anna was among them. She cabled her husband the brief message, “Saved alone, what shall I do?”
When Horatio Spafford made the trip to meet his grieving wife, he sailed near the place where his four daughters had sunk to the ocean depths. There, in the midst of his sorrow, he wrote the unforgettable words to a song that has brought healing and hope to countless people: “It is Well With My Soul.”
Horatio Spafford was a powerful Christian leader. One who was friends with some of the most revered spiritual leaders of his era. Because of his godly character, they would frequently turn to him for counsel and prayer. I desire to be that kind of person. That is what God desires for each and every one of us: to be devoted followers of Christ who are anchored so deeply in His faith that we can weather any storm.
It Is Well With My Soul Lyrics – by H.G. Spafford
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows, like a sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath 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 in whole,
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trumph shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so”- it is well with my soul.
Chorus
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
You can listen to the song being sung by George Beverly Shea here: https://youtu.be/Dw2fDyO8mqw
Resources:
https://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/2007/02/it-is-well-with-my-soul.aspx
