In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire wrecked the life of prominent lawyer Horatia Spafford. Spafford lost his four-year-old son in the blaze along with most of his property and his law practice. 2 years later, he had planned to tour Europe with his family, who traveled ahead of him by ship. The ship sank and his four daughters were killed. His wife notified him by telegram that simply read: “Saved alone.” Crushed by the loss of his children and financially destitute, Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife. On the journey, his ship passed the location where his daughters had been lost at sea. The lawyer was inspired to write one of the most famous hymns of all time: “It Is Well With My Soul.” The hymn is about enduring difficult times of loss, fear, danger, and uncertainty. In all of those times, the author returns to the truth that he finds comfort and courage in the knowledge that God is in control and that Jesus died for his sins. In any situation or outcome, including his own death, he knows that God protects him and cares for him. This concept is repeated over and over in the scriptures where God is described as a hiding place, a shield that wraps around his people, and watching over us so carefully that even the hairs that fall from our heads can only do so when His will allows it. This is one of the most comforting ideas in the scriptures, and I’ve heard it repeated over and over among folks who were facing health issues, loss, danger, and needs. It is a real comfort when the world seems to be out of control to remember that God is in control. The medieval author Jean-Baptista wrote about this idea saying that God’s people should find comfort in the knowledge that He is all powerful, all knowing, and perfectly good. If these things are true and God is on our side, then any and every situation that we face can somehow be used for good. This isn’t to say that everything that happens to us is good or pleasant. Often evil people do terrible things that are clearly outside of God’s will. However, in those situations God is capable of accomplishing great good in those terrible circumstances. This is an important idea for life in general, but particularly today as many are afraid or facing uncertainty. People are afraid of running out of the things they need, getting sick, losing loved ones, facing financial ruin, or any number of other things that could possibly come out of the pandemic we are facing. In the end, we can (and should) take steps to be safe and healthy. However, we should also remember that God is in control. He is not suddenly out to lunch or abandoning His people. This doesn’t mean everything will be easy or fun. However, it does mean that the situation we are facing isn’t simply spiraling out of control. It means that the God who knew our names before the world was created and who sent His son to die for our sins hasn’t forgotten us. We may experience hard days, but He is in control and has a plan. The best thing to do in these circumstances is to turn to Him in our time of need.
