Sept. 7, 2026
When Physical Storms Meet Spiritual Peace: The Story Behind "It Is Well with My Soul"
When Physical Storms Meet Spiritual Peace
When we look at our lives through the lens of our immediate physical circumstances, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, bitter, or distant from God
In our latest podcast episode, God's Heart: Hope and Encouragement, we explored how trapped we can become when we judge God's character strictly by what we see in the physical realm
To deepen our understanding of this shift from a physical perspective to a spiritual one, there is perhaps no greater modern witness than the story behind one of the most beloved hymns ever written: "It Is Well with My Soul."
The Unimaginable Storms of Horatio Spafford
In the late 19th century, Horatio Spafford was a successful Christian lawyer and businessman living in Chicago with his wife, Anna, and their five children. By all physical metrics, his life was blessed. But in a span of just a few years, tragedy after tragedy struck his family:
- 1870: His four-year-old son, Horatio Jr., tragically died of scarlet fever.
- 1871: The Great Chicago Fire swept through the city, destroying virtually all of Spafford’s real estate investments and leaving his family in financial ruin.
- 1873: Wanting to give his grieving family a restful break, Horatio planned a trip to Europe. At the last minute, urgent business delayed him in Chicago, so he sent his wife and four daughters—Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta—ahead on the ocean liner S.S. Ville du Havre.
On November 22, 1873, the ship collided with another vessel in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and sank in just 12 minutes. Anna was rescued from the water, but all four of their young daughters drowned.
When Anna reached land in Wales, she sent a brief, heartbreaking telegram to her husband that contained only two words: "Saved alone."
Looking Past the Physical Realm
Horatio immediately boarded a ship to join his grieving wife in England. As the captain navigated the Atlantic, he called Horatio to the deck and informed him that they were passing over the exact spot where the Ville du Havre had gone down—the watery grave of his four daughters.
In that moment, standing at the rail of the ship in the middle of the dark sea, Horatio had every human reason to take an emotional stance against God
- His wealth was gone.
- All five of his children were dead.
- His heart was crushed under the weight of unbearable grief.
If Horatio had evaluated God’s heart solely based on his physical circumstances, he would have concluded that God had abandoned him, that God was silent, or that God was cruel
Instead, Horatio went down to his cabin, took out a sheet of paper, and chose to anchor his heart in the spiritual realm—in the eternal character and goodness of God
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.
Taking Pain TO God, Not AGAINST God
Horatio Spafford’s response was not an act of suppressing his pain or pretending he didn't hurt
Instead, he was doing exactly what we discussed in this episode: he took his emotional pain to God rather than taking an emotional position against God
Horatio knew that while he could only see the painful "float" passing directly in front of him on the street corner, God was looking down from high above—seeing the entire parade from beginning to end
As he wrote in the third verse of the hymn:
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Spafford anchored his soul not in his temporal safety, but in his eternal identity in Christ
Your Weekly Reflection
God is not asking you to understand every detail of why bad things happen or why severe trials enter your life
He simply asks you to know His character
As you reflect on this week's episode, ask yourself our weekly diagnostic question
"Am I evaluating God's heart based upon my temporary, physical circumstances, or am I anchoring my trust in His eternal character and providence?"
Whatever storm you are navigating today, remember: what feels like punishment or abandonment in the physical moment is never the end of the story in the spiritual realm
Listen & Subscribe:
Catch the full episode, God's Heart Series: "When Physical Storms Meet Spiritual Peace", on our site or your favorite podcast app! Visit
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