“Is It Well With Your Soul?”
Psalm 31
9-28-2025
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. Back in 1873 Horatio Spafford wrote the words of our sermon hymn: “When Peace Like A River.” Perhaps you were familiar with this hymn but can you honestly sing the refrain: “It is well with my soul”? Is it truly well with your soul? In all honesty I can tell you that it’s not always well with my soul. And I’m sure you’d have to agree that at times it’s not always well with your soul either. Many times, this state of spiritual wellbeing is more of a sincere hope than a reality. Quite often we wish that our soul felt well rather than the anguish we frequently feel. In your private times of prayer and when you come here for public worship, you may not always feel that it’s well with your soul.
King David was right there with you, as Psalm 31 tells us. David says in verse 9, “Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.” Things weren’t going so well with David’s soul. We don’t know the exact details of why David wrote those words. It may have the time he was being chased by King Saul. But whatever the circumstances might have been, it’s obvious that David’s enemies were hot on his trail. In verse 13 he says, “They scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.” And it wasn’t as simple as this: Yes, my enemies are coming after me but at least I can count on my friends. No, the people that should have been standing beside David were waffling or worse. In verse 11 he says, “Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.” It was a tough time. His enemies where out to get him and he couldn’t even trust his friends.
These were David’s heavy problems and you can probably sympathize with him. We may not have enemies plotting to take our lives in the same way David was targeted but we are threatened in many ways. Foreign terrorists certainly wouldn’t hesitate to kill any of us. But closer to home in our daily lives, we can identify with people being against us. David says in verse 18, “Let the lying lips be mute.” I’m sure you’ve also heard what lying lips have said against you that are not true. Many times, gossipers don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. They slander you, talk behind your back, harm your reputation, put the worst construction on what you’ve done or what they imagine you’ve done. They break the Eighth Commandment and there’s really not a whole lot you can do about it.
Let’s face it, though. There are times when you and I have given them reason to talk about us. Earlier in the service we confessed our sins. But the truth is that our many sins—even though they’ve been forgiven—those past sins still give people a reason to talk. Either way, this sinful world with all its troubles and suffering weighs heavy on our thoughts and our hearts. We have good reason to say, “It is NOT well with my soul!”
We may be tempted to sit around and gripe about the injustices of life, but look at the bright hope that David proclaims in the midst of his troubles. His opening line in Psalm 31 is “In You, O Lord, do I take refuge.” If things weren’t going well with his soul, David knew right where to go to make it well. He went immediately to God. And he follows that bold statement with many more expressions of confidence in God. In verse 3 he says, “You are my rock and my fortress; and for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me.” David expressed his confidence in God because the Lord had helped him before and he trusted that God would do it again. An example of David’s trust is in verse 5, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” And later, in verses 14-15 he says, “I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand.’” You see, David knew he could place his life in God’s hands even when things were not well with his soul.
That was David. But wouldn’t it be great for us to have that instinctive response when things aren’t going well? When life is ganging up on you, when not only your enemies but sometimes your friends aren’t there for you? Wouldn’t it be great if we instinctively turned to God immediately for help? Actually, you have already been given that instinct. This instinct was born into you at your Baptism. When you were Baptized you were redeemed from the greatest of all troubles: the guilt of sin, the dread of death, and from domination by the devil. In those holy waters God brought you into His fortress, into the safety of His forgiveness… even if people won’t let go of your sins and shortcomings. In Baptism God brought you into His fortress where hope abounds, especially when you’re tempted to despair about your situation in life. God brought you into His fortress where His love for you reaches deep into your soul, which is a welcome thing in our loveless world. Because of our Baptism into Jesus Christ, we can find refuge in God like David did when troubles surround us. When God gives us that marvelous security, then we really can say, “It IS well with my soul.” Isaiah reminds us in 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you.”
I mentioned Horatio Spafford at the beginning of this sermon. Well, here’s the rest of his story. In the 1800’s he was a successful Chicago lawyer and a rich man. But the great Chicago fire of 1871 wiped out much of Spafford’s wealth. It was not a good time for the Spafford family. So, Horatio decided his family needed to get away for a while. He still had sufficient resources for a decent vacation in Europe. However, some last-minute business detained Horatio so he sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him on a trans-Atlantic ship. On November 22 disaster came. Their ship was struck by another ocean liner and sank almost immediately. The four daughters were lost; only Mrs. Spafford survived from their family. When Horatio sailed across the Atlantic to join his grieving wife, the captain called him to the bridge and reported that they were at the place where the ship had gone down. Can you imagine his pain? I can’t. But shortly after that Spafford wrote his famous words.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way;
When sorrows, like sea billows, role;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Mr. Spafford seems to have had the same deep trust in the Lord that David had. Believe it or not, difficult times can actually be a blessing. I’m not suggesting that we should enjoy them. I don’t think David got a kick out of his troubles. But it’s the tough times, the times when the weight of the world is on your heart, the times when you’re suffering unjustly, times when people are talking against you, times when no one seems to care about you—in times like this you’re experiencing first-hand your sinful mortality. When you feel as though you’re getting crucified by the world, you get a better appreciation for the One who really was crucified. Jesus Christ knew what David went through and He knows what you go through. Jesus went through that and much more. He took our sins and the sins of the whole world upon Himself and paid for them on the cross. His death and resurrection are what truly makes it well with our souls. Our Christian faith is not about earthly glory, but the heavenly glory to come. Yes, Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to glory. But right here and now it’s not about glory for us here on earth. Though it’s not welcome, these tough times send us running again and again into the fortress of God’s protection.
As we complete our journey in this fallen world, God gives us His Word and Sacrament to sustain us. It is through these means of grace that He makes it well with our souls, even in the midst of troubles, pain, broken hearts, and disappointment when the things of this world weigh on us. As with David, God is our rock and fortress. With that assurance God makes it well with your soul. Horatio Spafford knew that in the depths of his grief it was indeed well with his soul because God was his refuge and strength. He shared that hope with everyone who sings his hymn. And David knew it in the midst of his own troubles. His words in Psalm 31 are God’s inspired words of hope for us today. Since God has brought you and me into the fortress of His care, a safe place where we can enjoy His divine rest, we can say confidently, “It IS well with my soul. It is well.” Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!