HOW is it well with our soul?

Perhaps some (or many!) of you have heard of the astounding story and timing of the writing of the old hymn "It is Well with My Soul."  Penned by successful Chicago lawyer Horatio Spafford (1828-1888), this song came on the heels of tremendous losses for Horatio and his wife Anna.  Devastated, this devoted follower of Jesus found that even amidst his personal tragedy there was a sense of soundness and quiet in his soul. 

How in the world could this be...? 

"...we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed..."  

(the Apostle Paul and others who were following Jesus and facing tremendous trials and persecutions: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

^"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." 

(Jesus speaking to His disciples on the eve of His being taken back to the Father: John 14:27). 

MY peace I give to you...

I think this monumental statement from the Son of God to us holds part of the answer to how in the world we could "be well" in the midst of both good times and tragic struggles; and that is by living in that profound, deeply-lying peace that only Jesus can impute.  But there still remains another question which is just as, if not more, critical:

How can we actually access (get, grab hold of, have) that kind of peace in our soul? 

And here is where the word "soul" gives a major clue to the answer to that major question. 

It is said that man is divided into three parts: the body (physical), the soul, and the spirit (for example: 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12, but there are many more references).   It is said that it is in the soul of a man where the mind, will, and the emotions exist (see for example this link).  Let's face it, quite often it is by what we are thinking (the mind), what we are doing (the will), and/or how we are reacting (the emotions) that almost always determines if we are "well"...rested, sound-minded, at peace...or not.

And so....?

So God GIVES us instructions in His Word on HOW our MIND can have peace, our WILL can be at peace, and our EMOTIONS can remain in peace...and therefore, how our SOUL CAN BE WELL...

Here are just a few, but very significant, examples: 

Peace in the mind...thinking how God would have us think: 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...   (Romans 12:2)

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...   (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell (think) on these things...   (Philippians 4:8; parentheses added)

 

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.  (Isaiah 26:3)

Peace in the will...essentially obeying God's direction - which can come in many forms - and not trying to have things our way: 

Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.  All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God... (a multitude of blessings follow)...  (Deuteronomy 28: there are curses too for disobedience, which can take many forms). 

Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher.  Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.  (Isaiah 30:20-21)

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.  (John 14:21)

Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts...Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.  For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.  (Hebrews 4:7, 11-13)

Peace in the emotions...taking a deep breath and not responding in ways that are contrary to God's Word...

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger...  (Ephesians 4:26)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...  (Galatians 5:19-23)

These are just a few (very few) examples from God's Living Word that point us in the direction of how it can be WELL with our SOUL.  Keeping check on our thoughts, our actions (will), and our emotions...and how they do or do not align with the Word of God...is one of the primary ways of ensuring that we will be able to access (or not have) that deep, deep peace that only Jesus can give.  But even this we cannot do on our own.  It is only by the direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God (Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:13) - received when we ask for forgiveness from trying to do things on our own and acknowledge Jesus as being the ONLY One who can guide us in the right direction (John 14:6; Hebrews 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16-17) - that we can even be aware when we have gone off track (according to God's Word) in our mind, will, and/or emotions and be able to ask Him to help bring us back on board...  

...and it is only THEN that we can experience that soundness and quiet in our soul...even in the MIDST of terrible circumstances, even in the MIDST of sadness, even in the MIDST of loss, even in the MIDST of depression, even in the MIDST of physical or emotional pain...just as the author of the song did, who had within a two-year span lost a majority of his wealth and all of his five children.

^"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you..."

When sorrow like sea billows roll...it is well, it is well with my soul...   ("It is Well with My Soul," Horatio G. Spafford, 1873)

God bless you all. 

Love, Terri   

Partners

"...work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  (Philippians 2:12-13)

"...for in Him we live and move and exist..."  (Acts 17:28)

"...Christ in you, the hope of glory."  (Colossians 1:27)

This morning Galatians 2:20 floated wonderfully into my thoughts:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

I started repeating it over and over, as I attempted to "work out" of myself so many of the world's stresses and flesh desires that I seem to be allowing to brutally direct my life these days.  (But of course, as the scripture from Philippians above emphasizes, it is God who is at work in me Who helps me to recognize the need to "work out" these things - Psalm 23:2).  And as the words flowed through me and started bringing peace and Real Life back into my being, an interesting "interpretation" of the verse started to formulate:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live...This COULD be (and hopefully hasn't been) interpreted as the Apostle Paul (who, inspired by God, penned this verse and many others) stating that once we receive Jesus into our very spirit (Galatians 4:6), WE - our very God-given personality (Psalm 139:13-16) - disappears..."dies" so to speak...so that we are just walking around like Jesus-speaking robots.  But that's NOT what happens...

but Christ lives in me...This in and of itself, BY itself, is a PHENOMENAL, BEYOND COMPREHENSIBLE, yet supreme Reality that, despite the actual truth of it (it is not a metaphor for anything!), probably does not get the attention that something of this extraordinary nature would normally receive.  The Spirit of God, through His Son, is sent to LIVE IN (John 14:16-20, 25-26; John 16:5-13; Galatians 4:6) those who realize their need for a cleansing of the old sinful nature (with which we are all born, and which is in opposition to God - Psalm 51, esp. verse 5; Ephesians 2:1-5) and the necessity of receiving the new heart and new spirit which the Holy Spirit comes into a person to form (Ezekiel 36:26-27).   Oh my gosh.  In fact, this entry of God's Spirit into a person's being is what Jesus refers to as being "born again" (this event too has become too-often minimized, marginalized, and/or misunderstood...and even within the church itself!!!), and it is actually this SUPERNATURAL REALITY that acts as the key to entering God's Kingdom when Jesus returns (John 3:1-3).  Those who hold the Spirit in their hearts ("the key") will have access; those who do not, will not.  It is in fact:  Christ IN you, the HOPE OF GLORY...  

(And even as I write this, I am praying that no one reads these as just words in a devotional; but as the foundational, central Truth of God's desire for us to be reconciled to Him now and to be enabled to be with Him in eternity.  I am also hoping that you read the scripture verses, which are God's heart-cry for us to understand this Reality). 

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me...I sort of got off track there(!) due to wanting to highlight the utmost significance of Jesus coming to abide in us.  But what I believe the Holy Spirit shared with me by dividing this scripture from Galatians into the way that I have here actually illustrates the amazing association we have with Him (the Holy Spirit) once He comes to dwell in us.  "I" no longer just lives whatever "I" wants to do (sometimes "I" still tries!!!); because once Jesus (by the Holy Spirit) comes to live within, it does become a "partnership" of sorts in which "I" (ideally) is in constant conversation with the Holy Spirit, who does "guide into all truth" (which includes how to walk in the way that makes God glad- John 16:13; Ephesians 5:8-10).  It's a partnership (Galatians 5:16-17, 25); it's a "student-teacher"-ship (1 John 2:25-27); but ultimately, it's a reconciled relationship (2 Corinthians 5:18-20): a relationship with the Living God in which one is actually MORE alive than ever before (John 10:10).  And it's an ETERNAL life (John 17:3; 1 John 2:25) that will be able to dwell securely and serenely forever with God: in His Amazing, Beautiful, Wonderful, and Peaceful (that last descriptor means a lot to me right now and I'm sure many others who may be experiencing a lot of stress in their lives!) Presence (Revelation 21:1-7, 22:1-5).

But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).  (Galatians 5:16)

THIS is the Way to Eternal Life and True Peace...

What a partner!

Thank you Holy Spirit!

Thank you Jesus!

Thank you God!

In His Love,  
Terri