When Peace Like a River (ELW 785)
1 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.
Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
Refrain
3 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
4 And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
Devotion
My family and I have been fortunate to have lived within half a mile of Lake Superior’s rugged shoreline for thirty-four years. Within three blocks of our house is a beautiful creek with trails, cascades, pools, waterfalls, trout, and a variety of wildlife that includes bear, deer, and raccoons. Our home is also within five miles of the St. Louis River where quiet estuaries and islands give Duluth, MN, a completely different perspective. Here one can experience a special kind of quiet as you hike about rocky hills and wooded forests.
This hymn is honest in that it acknowledges the presence of troubling storms alongside peaceful meandering waters that relax us to the core. Twenty-five foot waves are not all that uncommon on Lake Superior, the largest fresh-water lake in the world. Even though we may generally be at peace, there are times when storms almost overwhelm us. Then in the quiet we will say, “It is well with my soul.”
Prayer
Savior of all, it is well with our souls when in difficult times and circumstances we trust in your promises. Strengthen our ability to share your peace with all we encounter, who need words of good news and healing. Amen.