Peace in the Storm

“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.”

I have no idea when I first learned that hymn; I’ve been singing it for as long as I can remember.  It was a staple in our house and Mom would sing it to comfort me during difficult times.  While I have been sick this year, Jesus has taught me again that if I turn to Him, I can experience peace even during the fiercest of storms.  He made the following promise recorded in John 14:27:  “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” In Phil. 4:7, Paul calls the Lord’s peace, “peace that surpasses all understanding,” and he promises this peace will guard our hearts and minds. Isaiah 26:3 tells us: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.”

In 1873, Horatio G. Spafford wrote the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” after losing his four young daughters when the ship on which they were traveling foundered in the Atlantic Ocean. His wife was one of the 226 survivors and is reported to have sent him a telegram that read: “Saved alone.” When you’re in pain or sick or facing a crisis, it can be hard to remember Jesus’ promise of peace.  But if you will turn to Him and ask in faith for His peace, He will grant it to you. And like Horatio Spafford, you too, can proclaim, “It is well with my soul.”