Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, be with me to deliver this message that you have laid on my heart. Thank you for everything in my life, be with the people on the prayer request list, put your healing hand on them and comfort them as you see fit. Be with this Country, the only one that can help us is you. I pray that your will be done with the election. I know you will provide us with the Pastor you have picked out when the time is right, keep the Church strong and in one accord in this time, lead guide and direct us, forgive me where I have failed you, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“It Is Well With My Soul” is a hymn penned by hymnist Horatio Spafford and According to Wikipedia, this hymn was written after traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first two were the death of his four-year-old son and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago that was extensively damaged by the great fire).[2] His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873, at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone …”. Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.[3] Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.[4]
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to knowa
It is 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 should 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 the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, oh my soul!b
These are rhetorical questions, just to get you to think. How would you react if you lost your spouse or significant other? What if you lost your son or daughter? I’m sure some of these things have happened to some of you in this room, we have all experienced loss, and if you haven’t you will. What about if something happened to all your sons or daughters? And your spouse? What if you lost your job? What if you lost everything, your family, friends, job, house, all the money in the bank? Would you be able to say, “All is Well With My Soul?” I know I would struggle with that. I pray every day that my family is not taken away, even if the kids go on my nerves sometimes, or get I in a little spat with Manuela. I still love them dearly.
Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 1:20 Amplified Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God]. 21 He said, “Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb,
And naked I will return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
What if everything was gone, what would we have left? We would have God left and we are supposed to put God first. I know it’s hard to think of everything being gone.
God is the one that blessed us with all our possessions, sometimes we need to be reminded to cherish every minute we have with our family, friends, our Church family and thank God for all our blessings and try not to take them for granted.
End with Prayer thank God for your family, friends, Church family, job, house and land that I am borrowing from you God. Dear God sometimes we need to be reminded to keep you first in our lives, help us to not take anything you have blessed us with for granted. We love you, in Jesus’ name I pray Amen.
I gave this as a devotion this weekend, 26 October 2020, and we had a Pastor fill in for the first time at our Church and I was astounded when his message was on the same verses of the same book of Job as mine and the song that the Lord laid on my wife’s heart sang by my wife and three others was also from Job as well. I couldn’t believe it. I had never met the young man before, but the Holy Spirit was certainly involved in our preparation in choosing all of our messages. I was an amazing Church service to say the least – God is Good…All the Time!
Carry the Load 