“When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll…” Few lines in hymnody move the human heart quite like these. The beloved hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” was not written from a place of comfort, but from the ashes of deep sorrow. Yet it stands as one of the most enduring confessions of Christian faith ever penned — a song that proclaims peace in the storm, hope in the grave, and trust in the God who reigns over both.
🕊️ The Man Behind the Hymn: Horatio Gates Spafford
Horatio G. Spafford (1828–1888) was a prosperous lawyer and businessman in Chicago, a devoted husband and father, and an active Presbyterian elder. He was known for his generosity and his friendship with evangelists Dwight L. Moody and Ira Sankey. But in the early 1870s, Spafford’s life would be marked by a series of devastating losses that would test his faith to the core.
💥 A Series of Tragedies
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Spafford had invested heavily in Chicago real estate. When the Great Fire swept through the city, nearly all his investments were lost. Still, he and his wife, Anna, continued serving the Lord, even helping those displaced by the blaze.
The Death of His Son
Not long after, the Spaffords’ only son died of scarlet fever. Their hearts ached, but they clung to their faith.
The Sinking of the S.S. Ville du Havre (1873)
In 1873, hoping for rest and to assist Moody’s ministry in England, Spafford planned a trip for his family. Pressed by business, he sent his wife and four daughters — Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta — ahead on the French ocean liner Ville du Havre.
On November 22, 1873, tragedy struck. The ship collided with the Loch Earn and sank within 12 minutes. Over 200 people perished, including all four Spafford daughters. Only Anna survived. Upon reaching Wales, she sent her husband a brief, heart-rending telegram:
“Saved alone. What shall I do?”
🌊 The Hymn Born from the Deep
Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship to join his grieving wife. During his voyage, the captain called him to the bridge and told him they were passing near the spot where the Ville du Havre had gone down.
Standing over the watery grave of his daughters, Spafford turned not to bitterness, but to belief. Out of that sacred grief came the timeless 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.
In those verses, sorrow was not erased — it was redeemed.
🎶 The Music and Its Legacy
The tune was composed by Philip P. Bliss, a well-known gospel singer and friend of Moody. Bliss named the melody “Ville du Havre” in memory of the shipwreck. Just three years later, Bliss and his wife died in a tragic train accident — a haunting echo of the hymn’s message that life is fragile, but eternity is secure.
🙏 Theology and Meaning
“It Is Well with My Soul” doesn’t deny the presence of pain — it declares the supremacy of Christ over it. Each verse unfolds like a confession of faith forged in the fire:
- Verse 1: Acceptance — “Whatever my lot…”
- Verse 2: Redemption — “My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross.”
- Verse 3: Hope — “The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend.”
Spafford’s words echo Philippians 4:7 — a peace that surpasses understanding. He didn’t find peace by escaping the storm, but by anchoring himself to the One who commands it.
⚓ The Rest of the Story
In later years, Horatio and Anna Spafford moved to Jerusalem, where they founded the American Colony — a Christian humanitarian mission devoted to serving the poor, the sick, and the orphaned. Their ministry became a living embodiment of the hymn’s message: peace, service, and faith in the midst of suffering.
💡 Final Reflection
Faith, when tested by tragedy, does not sink — it sings.
The story of Horatio Spafford reminds us that while the waves of grief may roll, our anchor holds fast in Christ. Through His cross and resurrection, every believer can truly say — even in the darkest night —
“It is well… with my soul.”
Soli Deo Gloria.
TheoloJeep 
Leave a comment