When Peace Like a River, ELW 785
Devotion
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.
Refrain
It is well (it is well)
with my soul, (with my soul,)
it is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul. Refrain
He lives--oh, the bliss of this glorious thought;
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to his cross and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Refrain
Lord, hasten the day when our faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
the trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descend;
even so it is well with my soul. Refrain
In a few days my family will welcome an exchange student from Spain. All summer we have been adjusting our home to accommodate one more teenage girl. We've bought furniture, rearranged bedrooms and cleaned. I feel insecure because I suspect she comes from a wealthy family and we can't offer her the luxury she's used to. Just last week, when I thought we were mostly ready, our HVAC system erupted: no heat, no air conditioning and as a bonus, my kitchen light won’t turn on. I have done everything in my control to make her arrival comfortable and now this? I. Give. Up.
In my helpless estate I remember something important. Luxury doesn't make a happy home, love does. Christ never promised me luxury, but I feel cherished in Christ's home. The very best I can offer our visitor is not our material possessions, but the love of Christ. Maybe that's the most important improvement I've made this week.
Prayer
Lord, once again I find myself trying to control things that don't matter, focusing my energy on something other than you. Forgive me. Set me straight. It is well with my soul. Amen.