Philippians 4:7 (ESV) 7 And
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.
For the past few nights I have been very restless at night with a lot of tossing and turning. My wife mentioned to me the other day - "It looks like you had a fight with the covers." She was right and I think the covers won.
I've been doing a lot of soul searching and praying over the past few months - seeking God for clear answers about specific situations.
Well, last night was different - I slept the whole night through, waking up in the same position that I started the night before.
The first thought that came to my mind as I awoke this morning was "It Is Well With My Soul."
I then began to sing that song over and over in my heart as I was preparing to get out of bed.
The back story for this hymn is absolutely amazing. According to Wikipedia, this hymn was written after traumatic events in the life of Haratio Spafford.
The first was the 1871 Great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago which was extensively damaged by the great fire). 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, 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.
The Spaffords later had three more children. On February 11, 1880, their son, Horatio Spafford, died at the age of four, of scarlet fever. Their daughters were Bertha Hedges Spafford (born March 24, 1878) and Grace Spafford (born January 18, 1881).
Their Presbyterian church regarded their tragedy as divine punishment. In response, the Spaffords formed their own Messianic ministry, called "The Overcomers." In 1881, the Spaffords, including baby Bertha and newborn Grace, set said for Ottoman-Turkish Palestine. The Spaffords settled in Jerusalem and helped found a group called The American Colony."
Colony members, later joined by Swedish Christians engaged in philanthropic work among the people of Jerusalem regardless of their religious affiliation and without proselytizing motives - thereby gaining the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.
During and immediately after World War 1, The American Colony played a critical role in supporting these communities through great suffering and deprivations by running soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages and other charitable ventures.
So the question begs today - Is it well with your soul?
Please watch this video and let the Lord fill your heart with His great peace today.
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL -
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=It+Is+Well+with+My+Soul+Hillsong&FORM=RESTAB#view=detail&mid=544EF42A6C7576948FCF544EF42A6C7576948FCF
For the past few nights I have been very restless at night with a lot of tossing and turning. My wife mentioned to me the other day - "It looks like you had a fight with the covers." She was right and I think the covers won.
I've been doing a lot of soul searching and praying over the past few months - seeking God for clear answers about specific situations.
Well, last night was different - I slept the whole night through, waking up in the same position that I started the night before.
The first thought that came to my mind as I awoke this morning was "It Is Well With My Soul."
I then began to sing that song over and over in my heart as I was preparing to get out of bed.
The back story for this hymn is absolutely amazing. According to Wikipedia, this hymn was written after traumatic events in the life of Haratio Spafford.
The first was the 1871 Great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago which was extensively damaged by the great fire). 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, 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.
The Spaffords later had three more children. On February 11, 1880, their son, Horatio Spafford, died at the age of four, of scarlet fever. Their daughters were Bertha Hedges Spafford (born March 24, 1878) and Grace Spafford (born January 18, 1881).
Their Presbyterian church regarded their tragedy as divine punishment. In response, the Spaffords formed their own Messianic ministry, called "The Overcomers." In 1881, the Spaffords, including baby Bertha and newborn Grace, set said for Ottoman-Turkish Palestine. The Spaffords settled in Jerusalem and helped found a group called The American Colony."
Colony members, later joined by Swedish Christians engaged in philanthropic work among the people of Jerusalem regardless of their religious affiliation and without proselytizing motives - thereby gaining the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.
During and immediately after World War 1, The American Colony played a critical role in supporting these communities through great suffering and deprivations by running soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages and other charitable ventures.
So the question begs today - Is it well with your soul?
Please watch this video and let the Lord fill your heart with His great peace today.
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL -
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=It+Is+Well+with+My+Soul+Hillsong&FORM=RESTAB#view=detail&mid=544EF42A6C7576948FCF544EF42A6C7576948FCF
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