Is It Well With My Soul?

One of my favorite hymns is It Is Well With My Soul, by Horatio G. Spafford. There is a lovely arrangement of it on this cd (one of my current favorite albums btw) and I've been listening to it almost nonstop lately. Add to that the fact that we just sang this song in church and... yeah, it's been on my mind lately.

There is so much truth in this song, so much comfort, and so much conviction as well. Because as I've listened to it over and over again, I've had to repeatedly ask myself:

Is it well with my soul?

The first verse makes me think about every day instances.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul

For example: when I'm late to work and my car is out of gas and someone cuts me off on the highway, is it well with my soul? Do I walk in the Spirit and keep a good attitude, or do I scream "OUTTA MY WAY YOU MORON!!!" I have to admit, there are  times of both. Why am I so easily ruffled? I have a big God who is in control of everything, even my daily commute! So why don't I trust Him more easily and just do right? Or, as Pastor Scott preached on a couple of weeks ago, why can't I exhibit more meekness?

The third verse gets me thinking a little more deeply.

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!

My sin, not in part but the whole!!! Wow!!! We have so many reasons to glory in Christ. He has taken all of my sin on Himself and set me free from the bondage I was in! He has sealed me with His Holy Spirit and will never, ever let me go!!! He WILL finish the work that was started in me at salvation! So why am I so weighed down by this life? Why do I allow myself to grow so weary, so busy trudging down here that I forget to look up? I think a big part of the problem is addressed in 2 Timothy 2:4

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Even after reading this verse again and again and again,
I get so entangled with this life.
I worry and stress and struggle and focus on things of this earth. With what I'm going to do here, where I'm going to go, how I'm going to get there. I have problems with this relationship. I won't be able to afford this need. I bury myself under a load of anxiety, and instead of casting my cares on Him, I try to carry them all by myself. Then, after living my day to day life barely acknowledging God because I'm so focused on the things of this world, I wonder why I continually fall into sin. Why can't I get the victory? Maybe it's because I'm not being a good soldier.

I heard an incredible message on Sunday night entitled He Is Able. It was based on what is quickly returning to a 'favorite verse spot'.

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.          Jude 1:24

It was one of the best messages I've ever heard, and I'd suggest you listen to it here. (Sermon from 05/08/2011 Evening) I think the biggest encouragement is in the title itself. He IS able!!! He can keep me from falling! He can give me victory over sin! I just need to 'untangle' myself from this world and and focus on Him, and "the Only wise God" will take care of the rest.