I’m no philosopher, but I’d conjecture to say statistically speaking few that walk this earth truly find peace and contentment along their journey.
What I do know firsthand- life can be rough. Life can blindside you. Life can throw deceit in your face. Attempt to betray you, drown you in despair. Hit you with everything except everything, all at once (am I describing anyone else’s week, or year?)...
But I find myself sleepless pondering, if need to hit rock bottom to truly understand what “peace that passes understanding” really means. To know that blessed assurance exists.
(I’m coming back and editing now— no. I don’t think you have to— but I do think that it can bring about an odd sort of clarity).
I love a good story— and when I say that, I mean more in a biographical sense. Most of us, even if you do not consider yourself religious, are familiar with the words and chords of the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” And if not, the lyrics go like this:
“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.”
The famous hymn was written by a successful Chicago lawyer and businessman, Horatio G. Spafford; married to wife Anna with five children. The guy had everything going for him, and a life of perfection by all outsider standards:
Until he didn’t.
In 1871, his young son fell ill and died from pneumonia- if you’re a history buff, you know that’s the same year marking the Great Chicago Fire.
Spafford’s business was all but completely wiped out.
Just two years later (business just starting to made some recovery)- the family planned a trip across the Atlantic to Great Britain. Unexpected business matters forced Spadford to send his family on a few days ahead of him.
His wife and four daughters boarded their ship... which was struck by an English vessel and sank in roughly 12 minutes. His wife survived, but all four daughters were lost in the tragedy along with over 200 other passengers.
A now childless Spafford left immediately to cross the Atlantic to join his wife.
While out at sea, the ship’s captain called Spafford to his cabin to tell him when they were over the appropriate spot of the horrific collision claiming his daughters’ lives... and it was here, looking out over the abyss of the sea and pondering the loss he did not but knew he could not on this side of eternity understand, Spafford penned the words now so familiar-
“Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well with my soul.”
Spafford lived a Phillipians 4:7 life. The words he inked to paper were not a new concept; rather a deeply personal, intimate understanding of the promise that God gives us a peace that does not make sense to human hearts and minds. A peace that does not make sense to the world in which we live.
It’s a peace that’s not circumstantial.
It doesn’t even care if the year is 2020.
If we’re having a pandemic.
If your life seems to be crumbling all around you.
It’s a peace that surpasses understanding- that means that it really doesn’t make human sense, yet it just is.
It means that the storm of life may be raging all around us with gale force winds, and we may not be able to calm those winds. We may be screaming for the storm to stop, and it just won’t.
We may not be able to stop the hail, the rain, or quiet the thunder. The storms of life will come- Jesus never promised a problem free, storm free life.
But he’s always in the boat with us ready to speak peace into our lives (check out Matt. 8:23 if you’re not familiar with my metaphor).
We can calm our hearts and our minds, and know true peace.
Peace that surpasses whatever storm 2020 is throwing at you.
“And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
PC: Self- Traverse City, MI.