It Is Well: The Story Behind the Hymn

January 11, 2023 Jacob Stubbs

The contemporary Christian music duo Shane & Shane recently released a live version of the song, “You’ve Already Won” (originally written by Chandler Moore and William Murphy). The lyrics of the song proclaim the already-not-yet truth of Christ’s victory. As Christians, the salvific work of Jesus is finished, and we look forward to the day when He returns, when we will dwell with God forever and all things will be made new.

As I listened to this song, a line in the second verse stood out to me, “Your Spirit is my help / He’ll fix my eyes on Jesus Christ / And I’ll say that is well / Oh, I know that it is well.” My mind immediately went to the hymn, “It Is Well with My Soul” written by Horatio Spafford and put to music by Philip Bliss. Growing up in church, this hymn is ingrained in my mind with vivid memories of hearing the women of the church sing the call of the refrain, “It is well,” echoed by the men, then, in the same fashion “With my soul” before the entire congregation joined in on, “It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

Each verse of the song poetically recognizes the pains of living in a fallen world – sorrow, trials, sin, death, but ultimately ends in the hope found in Christ before the great proclamation of the refrain, “It is well (it is well) / With my soul (with my soul) / It is well, it is well, with my soul.” In sorrow, in trials, even in the face of death, there is hope in Christ, and anyone who places their trust in Him can find peace and contentment in Him. These words echo the truth of Scripture found in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Often listed with the likes of “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art” as one of the most popular hymns of all time, “It Is Well with My Soul” is known by many Christians worldwide. Lesser known though, is the story behind Spafford penning the lyrics. Psalm 51 begins with this superscription, “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.” On its own, this passage of Scripture beautifully communicates the emotions of a guilty sinner approaching a righteous, merciful God, but knowing the context of David’s sins provided by the superscription paints an even more vivid picture of this psalm. Just as knowing David’s story gives a grander view for the psalms he wrote, hearing Spafford’s story has grown my appreciation and fondness for this beautiful hymn.

Horatio Spafford was a lawyer and real estate investor in Chicago in the late 19th century. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed over three square miles of the city and left Spafford and his family in financial devastation. Following this disaster, in 1873, Spafford planned a trip to England with his wife and daughters to visit his friend, D. L. Moody, who was on an evangelistic preaching tour at the time. Still handling some business stemming from the Great Chicago Fire, Spafford’s family headed to England without him. As they travelled across the Atlantic, their ship was struck by another and quickly sank. Spafford’s wife narrowly survived, but all four of their daughters died in the wreck.

After receiving the news, Spafford crossed the Atlantic to meet his wife. As he came to the place in the ocean where his daughters died, in the midst of his grief, Spafford found solace in the Lord and penned the words:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.