HOPE, When Sorrows Like Sea Billows 10-04-13

At my church this Sunday, we'll be singing one of my very favorite songs, It Is Well. I remember singing it as early as kindergarten - possibly earlier (when my father was pastoring a Church of God in Belding, Michigan). The summer before I entered first grade, Dad accepted the call to Hickory First Church of God in North Carolina - where I remember singing it too! 

The song lyrics were written by Horatio G. Spafford in 1873. Here's the story behind those words:

This hymn was writ­ten after two ma­jor trau­mas in Spaf­ford’s life. The first was the great Chi­ca­go Fire of Oc­to­ber 1871, which ru­ined him fi­nan­cial­ly - he'd been a weal­thy bus­i­ness­man). Short­ly af­ter, while cross­ing the At­lan­tic, all four of Spaf­ford’s daugh­ters died in a col­li­sion with an­o­ther ship. Spaf­ford’s wife Anna sur­vived and sent him the now fa­mous tel­e­gram, “Saved alone.” Sev­er­al weeks lat­er, as Spaf­ford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daugh­ters died, the Ho­ly Spir­it in­spired the words to this song which speak to the eter­nal hope that all be­liev­ers have, no mat­ter what pain and grief be­fall them on earth.

When I think of what Spafford & his wife must have suffered, I'm encouraged that through the sacrifice of God's son we have the HOPE as an anchor to our souls. As stated above, I completely agree I have an eter­nal hope that all be­liev­ers have, no mat­ter what pain and grief be­fall them on earth.

I thank God that no matter WHAT, when I look to Him, I can always have HOPE!

His promises...

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:18-19

Linking this month with The Nesting Place

 for the 31-day Challenge