Theme for the Week: Peace
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27, ESV)
Horatio Spafford was a prominent lawyer in Chicago. He was a wealthy man. But in 1871 the Great Chicago fire consumed the city. Spafford lost much of his wealth. In spite of his loss, Spafford would dedicate himself to helping those who had lost everything from the fire.
After two years of serving the needs of those most affected, the Spafford family needed some respite. The family prepared for a vacation to Europe. You could not hop on a plane when traveling to Europe in the 19th century, so the family made plans to make the journey by boat.
Unfortunately, Horatio was delayed by business. But he sent his four daughters and his wife ahead on a ship by the name of Ville du Havre. He would follow on another ship.
On November 22, 1873 while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the Ville du Havre was struck by another ship. Tragically, 226 people lost their lives, including Horatio’s four daughters. His wife, Anna, survived, and upon arriving in England she sent a telegram back to her husband, “Saved alone.”
Spafford boarded the first boat he could find to England to be reunited with his wife. While on the voyage, filled with unimaginable grief, near the place where he lost his daughters, Spafford wrote a poem. You may be familiar with the words.
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.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Later that poem would be put to music to the tune of “Ville du Havre.” We know it today as the beloved hymn: “When Peace Like a River.” It is a beautiful hymn, but the significance of the words becomes even more powerful when we know the story behind the song.
After this tragedy, Horatio and Anna Spafford would move to Jerusalem to serve as missionaries, sharing Christ with the local Muslim and Jewish communities. Spafford endured through the darkest hour of his life because of and enduring hope in Jesus.
Peace is not about our circumstances. One thing that is certain is you have problems in your life. There is not a single person in this world who has their life completely together. Recognizing you have hardships, the question is how you respond those difficulties. Do you have peace or is your life filled with anxiety and grief?
Peace is about the the state of your soul. The world may collapse around you, but you can still have peace when you know Jesus is with you. The peace that God gives to you is a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Jesus says he does not give peace as the world gives peace. God’s peace is a quiet contentment that provides rest for the soul whatever the odds.
In the next week, the first full week in Lent, we will be looking at some of the ways God’s peace becomes rooted in our lives so that even in the most difficult times, we might declare it is well, it is well with our souls.
- Monday – God’s Word
- Tuesday – Gratitude
- Wednesday – Patience
- Thursday – Rest
- Friday – Listening
- Saturday – Silence
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