5. It Is Well With My Soul

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Hymns: RHC 306 Pass Me Not, 319 It Is Well With My Soul, 7 God Moves In a Mysterious Way

Job 1:20-22

 20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (Job 1:20-22 KJV)

It Is Well With My Soul

OUTLINE

(1) Submission to God’s Will (v20-21)

(2) Sin Not to Murmur Against God (v22)

 

INTRODUCTION

The hymn “It is Well with My Soul” was a song given in the storm of life. After the great fire of 1871, Horatio Spafford (1828-1888), a Chicago lawyer, arranged an ocean voyage to Europe form his family, where he would join them later. The ship on which the happy family sailed, the Ville du Havre, never got farther than halfway across the Alantic. In the dead of the night, it was rammed by a sailing vessel and cut into two. On the confusion and disaster that followed, Mrs. Spafford saw her four daughters swept away to their deaths. A falling mast knocked her unconscious, and a wave freakishly deposited her body on a piece of wreckage where she regained consciousness. When she and a few other survivors reached Wales, she cabled two words to her husband: “Saved alone.”

Taking the earliest ship, he hastened to his wife’s side, all the ache of his heart going out to her and to his Father God. When his boat reached the approximate spot where the Ville du Havre had met with disaster, God gave him the inspiration and courage to write:

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

 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

 

But Lord, ‘tis for thee, for thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

O trump of the angel! O voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

 

When the storms of life would overwhelm us, if we look to him, God has a song in the night for us – a song of strength, of peace, of hope. Let us listen and catch the strains that come from the Composer fo this song for the night season of our soul.

We learn in 1:20-22 the godly response in times of adversity. Notice the 5 steps of Job’s response

  • He rose
  • Rent his mantle (robe)
  • Shave his head (sign of humiliation)
  • Fell down upon the ground
  • Worship God

20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Notice the deliberate use of the conjunction “and” to emphasize the deliberate and accentuation of his actions, the renting of his clothes and the shaving of his hair shows the deep sorrow that is in his heart expressed outwardly in deep mourning, culminating in rendering total submission to God. The word “worship” has a physical posture of bowing down and prostrating oneself in humility and submission to God’s will for our lives. Here, we see, the book of Job deals with the deepest problems of man and how we are directed to our sovereign God for answers.

(1)  Submission to God’s Will

The lesson of submission to God’s will for our lives is the most important for every Christian in times of adversity. Job ran to God in submission and prayer. Is there a stubbornness in the heart and fretting of the soul to submit under the Mighty hand of God? For Job, there was complete submission.

1 Peter 5:6-7“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Humble yourself before God in your affliction that he may raise you up in due time. This is the reason why God humbles us when He lays weights upon us, we may be depressed but when this end is gained, then the weights are taken off and we are lifted up by His gracious hand. Our faith grows as a result.

A good chorus to learn in times of affliction:

I Know the Lord will make a way for me (2x)

If I look to Him in prayer, darkest night will turn to day

I know the Lord will make a way for me.

This is faith in action.

When Israel was in bondage in Egypt, Exodus 2:23-25 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

In Exodus 3, we saw God calling Moses out of the burning bush to return to Egypt after 40 years of exile to lead His people out of Egypt. It is interesting that the Book of Exodus begins with the backdrop of affliction and in the midst the glimmer of hope, when Moses was born, divinely protected in Pharaoh’s daughter’s patronage, reared by his natural mother, brought up in the palace of Pharaoh.

Notice his wife was abusive, she gave a faithless response – curse God and die. How will your response be when the closest around us give up on you and on the Lord?

James 1:12“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

The word “depression” describes feelings of severe despondency and dejection, when “self-doubt creeps in and that swiftly turns to depression”. Other words that describe melancholy, misery, sadness, unhappiness, sorrow, woe, gloom, gloominess, dejection, downheartedness, despondency,dispiritedness, heavy-heartedness, discouragement, despair, desolation, moodiness, hopelessness.

The Mayo Clinic defined thus, “Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn’t worth living. More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn’t a weakness and you can’t simply “snap out” of it. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don’t get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychological counseling or both.”

The Christian writer Jane Hunt saw the cure for depression as “walking from darkness into the dawn”. She commented interestingly, “Have the dark clouds of depression poured their tears upon your soul? Are you emotionally stuck… muddled in your mind… mired in your emotions? Do you feel isolated and alone… afraid that no one understands? If so, you are not alone. People from all walks of life have languished under the black clouds of depression.”

She further observed, “Can anything bring back the white clouds of contentment? King David—no stranger to depression—discovered the answer. He learned how to exchange the darkness of despair for the light of hope. Again and again, when his soul was downcast, he intentionally changed his focus—he continually riveted his focus on the faithfulness of his Saviour… his Redeemer… his God. Three times, in three different verses, David asked himself the same question and three times he followed with the same answer.”

Psalm 42:5-6 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and whyart thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him forthe help of his countenance. 6O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.Psalm 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who isthe health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him,who isthe health of my countenance, and my God.

What then is depression? The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

When Elijah heard the threat of Jezebel, he simply became so overwhelmed with the threat, he became so fearful that he ran for his life. He did not consult the Lord but he simply ran away. Beersheba was the southernmost tip of the Promised Land. He reached there and he was feeling still very afraid, he left his servant and went alone into the wilderness by another full day’s journey.

  • Source and Sign of Depression (1 King 19:1-4, 10)
  • Successful Treatment For Depression (1 Kings 19:5-21)
    1. Keeping Close to God
      1. Rest and Refreshing
      2. Comfort and Instruction

He fell in exhaustion under the shade of a solitary tree, alone, overwhelmed. He was despaired even of his very life. He did not want to live anymore.

Is there cause for such thought? Did he not see that he had just defeated the Baal prophets and how could be foolish to even surmise that God is not able now to take care of him?

Did he not see and realize that God has been in control helping him by His Almighty power since he was called to confront Ahab? Can he not trust God now to take care of him?

You realize that from a spiritual peak he fell to spiritual depression. Did he forget how God had delivered him at Camel? How could he forget?

As we analyse his situation, you realize that Elijah had been in the state of tension and pressure for a long time. For 3 ½ years since he first challenged Ahab. And he had been running as a fugitive as a public enemy. He faced dire situations. Although God delivered him each time, he must have felt a sense of physical exhaustion and was emotionally spent.

Indeed, he was under constant pressure for some time and he simply buckles under the pressure this time and fell into a state of depression.

Elijah was wallowing in self-pity. He was in a state of self-deceit showing a “victim mentality”. He was overwhelmed with physical, mental, emotional, exhaustion. Spiritually, he was unable to see God for who He is.

Successful Treatment For Depression (v5-21)

  1. Keeping Close to God
    1. Rest and Refreshing
    2. Comfort and Instruction

How did God refresh his servant? Notice how the Lord provided for him food and provided him time for rest and refreshing. The Lord did not chide him but nourished him strengthening him. It must have reminded him of how he was nourished at the brook Cherith and by the widow!

And the Lord asked him what was the cause of his depression?

 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

He told the Lord of his desperate situation. The Lord took him out of the cave and showed him the wind, earthquake and fire. God showed to Elijah His power and shake him out of his self-pity.

Then God showed him how He still has work for Elijah. The Lord told Elijah that he was not alone in the battle.

18Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

God provided for Elijah a companion in Elishah who would minister to his needs. Elishah became his friend and co-worker in the vineyard. The Lord refreshed Elijah for service again. Depression can befall the Christian when he takes his eyes off the Lord instead of trusting God, become overwhelmed.

Thank God for keep Job, His servant, who sought the Lord through wholehearted submission and worship.

(2)   Sin Not to Murmur Against God (v22)

22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job in his perplexity could not comprehend his predicament. He maintained his way before the Lord choosing rather exercise faith in trusting the unfailing love of God.

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Indeed, as the Psalmist observes in Psalm 77:19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

Indeed, God’s ways are mysterious. Often, we cannot make sense of God with by our intelligence or ingenuity. But we lay hold of God’s perfect love.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Indeed, we cannot live in fear when we take hold of our God who loves us perfectly. As one late pastor says, “God’s perfect love can eliminate all dread. It is not our love for Him but His perfect love for us that will cast out our fears.”

Are you in some trial in your life right now that is causing you to feel uneasy and even to being discomfited? Commit your ways to Him, continue to trust Him and wait upon Him.

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

CONCLUSION

May the Lord bless us with His presence to still our hearts to wait upon Him. Amen.