FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PEACE LIKE A RIVER

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. (John 14:27a, NIV)

What wonderful, good news the Lord gives us—especially because a few chapters later, He warns that in this world we’ll have trouble.

But let’s be honest –  we’ve had trouble lately! COVID, empty grocery shelves, financial instability, rumors of wars… These problems might lead us to question why the Lord doesn’t answer our prayers. Why we’re waiting for the next foot to drop. In the midst of our troubles, where’s the peace Jesus promised?

Could it be that peace is not the absence of conflict but, as some have suggested, how we handle chaos?

While Horatio G. Spafford isn’t a household name, the lyrics he wrote amid heart-wrenching pain speak of peace that passes all understanding.

After losing a fortune in the Chicago fire of 1871, Spafford and his wife planned a family vacation to England.

He finished urgent business while his wife and their four daughters set out across the Atlantic. A short time later, he received a telegram from his wife. A tragic shipwreck claimed the lives of his four girls.

One account asserts that as the ship carrying Spafford to England neared the place where his daughters perished, the lyrics to this song welled inside him. He didn’t give in to a season of trouble and despair. Instead, he gave us a song in the night. A song of victory. Of “peace like a river.”

Borne from grief I pray few of us will ever know, Spafford’s lyrics ring as a testament to peace only the Lord can give.

After suffering such loss, we’d prefer to think this man’s life went on in an idyllic manner. Heaped with blessings he couldn’t contain. . .

Several years later, his three-year-old son died of scarlet fever. Financial loss compounded unbearable grief. Then the community of believers Spafford worshipped with turned their backs on him.

What did he do in the absence of peace?

He pressed closer to the Lord, initiating prayer meetings in his home. In fact, he and his wife were dubbed “the Overcomers.” He then established an American colony in Jerusalem, adopted a boy there, and by the time Spafford died of malaria, he was loved and respected by the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish community.

From seasons of devastating trouble and suffering, Spafford proved that with faith in the Lord, we too can have peace. We can say as he did, It is Well with My Soul.

By author eMarie

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Sherry Shindelar
Sherry Shindelar
2 years ago

Thank you for sharing! I had heard part of Shafford’s story before, up to his writing the song, but I’d never heard what happened afterward. His faithfulness and love for the Lord amid such terrible storms are inspiring.

Stacy T. Simmons
2 years ago

What a great post about a beloved hymn, thank you, eMarie. Blessings!

Roberta Kautz
2 years ago

I love the song, “It is Well With My Soul”, and I loved reading the story again today about what prompted the writing of the song. We have a treasure in Christ that is precious beyond measure. Thank you for this post.

Patti Shene
2 years ago

I had heard the story of Horatio Spafford, but each time I am reminded, it renews my admiration for this man’s faith. He truly left us a legacy in his hymns, which he wrote from a place of deep pain and tragic loss. Thank you so much for sharing, eMarie!

Valerie Cullers
2 years ago

What a story! I had heard the first part of it but not “the rest of the story.” He was an Overcomer indeed! Thank you for sharing it with us!

John "Jack" Cunningham

Wow! I knew about his losing his daughters in the shipwreck, but I did not know the other things about him.

Colleen K Snyder
2 years ago

Thank you for filling in the details I have not heard about Horatio Stafford. I didn’t know about him losing his son also. Didn’t know about his community of believers turning their backs on him. Why? Because someone who suffered so much must be the greatest of sinners? They should have read the book of Job.

Kathy McKinsey
2 years ago

Oh, that is my favorite hymn.

Becky Van Vleet
2 years ago

My father was the worship leader at the church I grew up in. I remember so vividly he would lead the congregation in this hymnal. Ever so often he would tell the story of Spafford. I remember it to this day. The faith of this man is so uplifting. Thank you for sharing this, Erma!

Dave
Dave
2 years ago
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