Wesley Church

People Blessing People

Devotional October 26

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.

“It Is Well with My Soul”(UMH 377)
words by Horatio G. Spafford

Preach it, Horatio. Preach it.

I don’t know about you, church, but I need to hear these words right now. Like most people, I find it easy to say “it is well” when things really are going well. But when they’re not? I find it easier to dwell on my sorrows than to whisper “it is well.”

Let’s be honest: covid-tide hasn’t exactly been an “it is well” kind of season. It seems that at every turn, the pandemic serves up new losses, new challenges, new frustrations, new struggles… like one rolling sea billow after another. It takes a lot of faith to offer an authentic “it is well” in response to everything covid-tide throws at us.

Perhaps it takes a faith like Horatio’s. Horatio Spafford (the author of this hymn) wrote these words in response to a great personal tragedy. He knew all too well the devastating experience of sorrows that crash in like one sea billow after another. And yet, he summoned the faith to say: “it is well with my soul.” 

Horatio’s patient and steadfast faith puts mine to shame. 

        So Lord, give me faith like Horatio’s. 

When things go as planned and when things couldn’t possibly have gone any worse, let me say: it is well with my soul. When the curve bends and when the infection rates spike, let me say: it is well with my soul. When restrictions ease and when they tighten, let me say: it is well with my soul. When I have enough and when I’ve had enough, let me say: it is well with my soul.

And, Lord… help me mean it.

Blessings,
Pastor Candy

Whisper your own “it is well,” friends, and remember:

Our God is bigger than coronavirus. 
Our vision is bigger than coronavirus, too. 
We are people blessing people. 
We are Wesley Church.   

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