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It Is Well with My Soul; a beloved Christian hymn for more than a century now, is not only a inspiring and comforting song. The near famous story of the author and his inspiration for penning the hymn has become a source of comfort as well.
Horatio G. Spafford, a Chicago businessman, suffered a series of tragedies; the great Chicago fire of 1871 dealt him financial disaster, the year before that, his only son died, and finally in 1873 his four daughters were lost in route to England when their ship, the S.S. Ville du Havre collided with another ship over the Atlantic Ocean.
Spafford, a close friend of D. L. Moody, was obviously well versed in scripture and had previously immersed himself in God’s word. Out of apparent reflect, Spafford allowed God to comfort him through His word:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble…Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled… Psalm 46:1-3
There is much debate as to the exact time Spafford penned the lyrics to his most popular hymn, however it is inarguable as to the motivation for writing this hymn, the loss of his children. The melody for song is another question. Many, many people over the centuries have experienced similar tragedies, and in fact some have written on their reliance of God’s word and comfort to sustain them through their grief. So, why would one man’s story stand out?
This is only speculation, but perhaps as Spafford allowed God’s word to flow so freely through him in his grief, God’s comfort lay upon him in the form of song. God’s word coupled with a truly worshipful expression of it produced a lovely melody that would capture the heart of Christians through the centuries.
Questions: Are we singing God’s praises in our joy and during our times of sorrow and does God’s word flow through us in a manor that inspires song? Well, most of us will never pen an inspiring hymn to be shared with the masses for ages to come, but each of us can sing a beautiful melody when we return God’s word to him in the form of worship. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Psalm 146:1
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