LivePrayer | Can you honestly say, it is well with my soul?

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Daily Devotional for Friday August 23, 2019

Can you honestly say, it is well with my soul?

(Philippians 4:7)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Lord, as I come to You this day, You know the challenges I am facing at this moment. You are the same God who walked with me through the challenges of yesterday, and You are the same God who will walk with me today. Despite the things of this world, the evil that exists, let me find Your peace and Your joy at all times. In the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, AMEN!!!

********8 DAYS UNTIL LIVEPRAYER’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY!!! In honor of our 20th anniversary at Noon on August 31st, please be in prayer about sending a special one-time gift of $20, $1 for each year, $200, $10 for each year, $2,000, $100 for each year, or $20,000, $1,000 for each year. I will also humbly accept a special gift of $200,000 from one person God has blessed, enabled, and will speak to, about honoring His work at Liveprayer over these past 20 years!!!

One of the great hymns of the church is, “It is well with my soul.” What makes the words of this hymn so powerful are the circumstances during which they were written. I have always loved this great hymn, loved it even more decades ago when I read the story behind it. In recent years as I have gotten older, I have actually began listening to the words in a different way. It became not just a great hymn of the faith, but a real spiritual challenge to me personally. A challenge that I will make to you at the end of today’s Daily Devotional.

The author, Horatio G. Spafford (1828-1888), was a Presbyterian layman from Chicago. He had established a very successful legal practice as a young businessman and was also a devout Christian. Among his close friends were several evangelists including the famous Dwight L. Moody, also from Chicago.

Spafford’s fortune evaporated in the wake of the great Chicago Fire of 1871. Having invested heavily in real estate along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, he lost everything overnight. In a saga reminiscent of Job, his son died a short time before his financial disaster. But the worst was yet to come.

Hymnologist Kenneth Osbeck tells the story: “Desiring a rest for his wife and four daughters as well as wishing to join and assist Moody and [his musician Ira] Sankey in one of their campaigns in Great Britain, Spafford planned a European trip for his family in 1873. In November of that year, due to unexpected last-minute business developments, he had to remain in Chicago, but sent his wife and four daughters on ahead as scheduled on the S.S. Ville du Havre. He expected to follow in a few days.

“On November 22 the ship was struck by the Lochearn, an English vessel, and sank in twelve minutes. Several days later the survivors were finally landed at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, ‘Saved alone.’”

Spafford left immediately to join his wife. This hymn is said to have been penned as he approached the area of the ocean thought to be where the ship carrying his daughters had sunk.

Another daughter, Bertha, was born in 1878 as well as a son, Horatio, in 1880, though he later died of scarlet fever. After the birth of daughter Grace in 1881, Spafford and his wife moved to Jerusalem out of a deep interest in the Holy Land. There they established the American Colony, a Christian utopian society engaged in philanthropic activities among Jews, Muslims and Christians.

The somber and peaceful music was written by gospel songwriter Philip Bliss (1838-1876).

Lyrics

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.