It Is Well with My Soul

 

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1–3 ESV).

 

My body clock hasn’t had time to really change since we’ve been in the mountains. I still awaken about sunrise no matter how late I might have stayed up the day before. That was a bit before 7 am today. My regular routine is slightly different when I’m in the mountains, though some things remain. One of those “different” things is actually walking our dog, Teddy, on his leash for his mourning routine. Usually, when I’m at home I let him out in our fenced backyard and let him take care of all his exploration for the morning on his own while I sit on the deck and meditate through my prayer list. Since there is no fenced area at the cabin we are staying in and there was a bear nosing around yesterday, I thought it best to walk him down the street. Walking back I was surprised with the vivid colors of sunrise across the river behind our cabin. I’ve attached a photo, though it does not do justice to the actual sight!

 

Well, I got to the cabin and came back inside, unleashed the dog, and turned on the television to one of my favorite YouTube channels that plays instrumental old hymns and the first one was “It Is Well with My Soul” with the Scripture verse across the screen from our reading today: “Fear not, for I am with you…”

 

You may not know the background of this great old hymn. It was written after traumatic events in Horatio Spafford's life. The first was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which ruined him financially. He had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago that was extensively damaged by the great fire). His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873, at which time Spafford had planned to travel to England with his family on the SS Ville du Havre, to help with Dwight L. Moody's upcoming evangelistic campaigns. In a late change of plan, Spafford sent his wife, Anna, and their four daughters, Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta, ahead while Spafford was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, killing 226 people, including all four of his daughters. His wife, Anna, survived and sent Spafford the now famous telegram, "Saved alone ...". Shortly afterwards, as he traveled to England to meet his grieving wife, Spafford was inspired to write these words as his ship passed the spot near where his four daughters had died. Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel. Let me remind you of the lyrics:

 

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.

 

Refrain

It is well, (it is well),

With my soul, (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 hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

 

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

 

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

 

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

 

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

A song in the night, oh my soul!

 

It is indeed… “well, with my soul”! All because of the grace and love of Jesus! Thank you Lord for the reminder today!

 

Headrick's Chapel

 

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–27a ESV)

 

Mary and I are still in the Smokies. The weather and fall foliage has been incredible. The picture I’ve attached today is Headrick’s Chapel, taken in Wears Valley, Tennessee, sometime ago. We’ve gone by this church many times on our way to Cades Cove. It is situated on a hill next to the main road. It cannot be missed by anyone travelling through this small mountain town. I haven’t stopped there, though I may before this trip is finished because of the “Legend of the Funeral Tree” that is associated with this church. It sits right on a curve high on a hill, surrounded on three sides by a beautiful, historic cemetery. Interestingly this iconic little church was born out of a literal bolt of lightning.

 

Throughout the 1800s, there was no church building there. Funerals were held entirely outdoors. Mourners would gather under the branches of a massive, ancient oak tree that stood in the cemetery to shelter themselves from the mountain rain and snow. But in 1902, a violent storm moved through the valley. Lightning struck the legendary "funeral tree," destroying it. According to the legend, it was “blasted to pieces.” Left with no shelter, the community knew it was time to build a chapel. A local named Peter Headrick donated the land, and the valley went to work. Because materials and resources were scarce, four completely different denominations joined forces to build it. They signed a unique deed that split up the weekends of the month so Baptists and Methodists could share the space in harmony.

 

Because it was designed and built to replace the funeral tree, community law stated that funerals always took priority over regular church services. Whenever a valley resident passed away, someone would climb up to the belfry and ring the heavy church bell exactly once for every year of the person's life. If the bell echoed across the ridges 82 times, the whole valley knew a long-lived elder had gone home. The chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. No regular services are held there anymore, but that timeless bell is still tolled by valley residents to honor the dead.

 

Now, I don’t know if a bell will ring once for every year I’ve lived on this earth, but I know that my death will not be the end of my life! Our reading today clearly proclaims the victory Jesus has won on my behalf: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (v. 27). Bells, whistles, horns, maybe even an angel or two shouting “hallelujah!”… none of those things will matter as much as being taken in heaven to greet Jesus face-to-face and reunite with all those loved ones and friends who have already gone!

 

Now… every time I see this picture of Headrick’s Chapel, I can be reminded of that great day!

 

A Mama Bear and Her Cubs

 

But I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior. It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me. So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way. I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open. (Hosea 13:4–8 ESV).

 

Mary and I have arrived in the Smokies! Earlier we were traveling though the mountains to 11crossover to Cherokee, North Carolina. We were hoping to see some of the bolder colors of fall… and we did! We also saw four bears in a tree near the road. Of course, I had to stop to snap a photo (attached) as everyone in the car admonished me not to get too close. It was a Mama bear and three of her yearling cubs. Black bear cubs stay with their mother for about 1.5 years, while grizzly/brown bear cubs stay for 2.5 to 3 years. The mother acts as a full-time teacher, showing her cubs how to dig for roots, find safe plants, fish for salmon, and tear open logs for insects. And for black bears, she teaches the cubs to scramble up tall trees with rough bark to rest or escape danger. A mother bear is notoriously protective ("mama bear") and will aggressively confront anything or anyone they sense and danger from toward her cubs.

 

In our reading today, God is warning the northern kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim) of approaching judgment. We see the reason in the earlier verses of the reading (vv. 3-4). God reminds Israel that He rescued and provided for them in the wilderness, but once they grew prosperous and full, they became proud, turned to idolatry, and forgot Him. God uses fierce predator imagery—an enraged mother bear and a hungry lion—to illustrate the sudden, unstoppable, and severe nature of His discipline because His people broke their covenant with Him.

 

We would do well to understand the imagery in our culture. God has made a covenant with His children through Jesus. When we become apathetic toward our relationship and drift from His purpose and will. There are often serious consequences. Of course, I am not suggesting that salvation is lost; however, the fruit of that redemption can certainly be “torn apart.” This verse is also a warning to false teacher who lead others away from the Lord. God see these people as predators of His young and will not hesitate to fiercely confront them.

God instructs and protects us. Do not turn away from His love and care for anything else!

 

Kuwohi

 

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. (Psalm 32:1–7 ESV).

 

This is the last devotional that I will write before going “live” in the Smokies. Today I am thinking of Kuwohi (formerly known as Clingmans Dome) is the highest point in Tennessee, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the third-highest mountain east of the Mississippi River, sitting at an elevation of 6,643 feet. The name “Kuwohi” is the ancestral Cherokee name for this peak. For hundreds of years before European contact, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and their ancestors knew the mountain by this name, which translates to “mulberry place” in the Tsalagi language. It is considered a focal point of traditional Cherokee homelands. Cherokee medicine people historically climbed the peak to pray, fast, and seek spiritual guidance from the “creator” before returning to advise tribal towns. As you can see from the attached picture, there are some incredible views available from this point straddling the state lines between North Carolina and Tennessee.

 

Perhaps more interesting is the fact that this mountain was believed to be a prominent place for important council meetings held by the bears of the Smokies! Regardless of the truth of that assertion, we do know that during the forced removal and the Trail of Tears in the 1830s, the rugged, remote slopes of Kuwohi provided a hiding place and haven for Cherokee individuals and families who managed to stay behind in their native land.

 

That reminded me of our reading today. David in writing this psalm, speaks of the refuge we find in the forgiveness of the Lord. That is our only real “hiding place! Only in Him do we find a protective shelter, hiding place, and shield during times of trouble and distress.

Have you ever noticed someone who just has that inner peace about them when difficult times enter into their lives? They cannot be shaken because their joy comes from their personal relationship with God through Christ. They know Him as “Father,” and their hope is in the truth of their adoption as His children through faith in Christ. As children of God, they are forgiven of all sins. That is the kind of peace and a happiness the world knows nothing about. It is a peace that does not go away when flood waters and fires take our homes, when cancer is detected in our body, or when a tragic car accident takes the life of an innocent child. God’s peace and the happiness it brings are unshakable to those who find their refuge in Christ!

 

 

A Time for All Things

 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV).

 

Once again I am compelled to write a devotional with a topic I am anticipating, rather than experiencing first-now at this time. At this writing, I am still a couple of days away from leaving for the mountains. As you may be aware this is the time of the year when the peak fall colors will be showing in the various trees of the Smoky Mountains. The picture I have attached is a picture I took in October, 2024. As Mary and I were traveling through the mountains we found a spot where we could pull off the road and stretch our legs a bit, while I also took a few photos of the colors. I am not a professional photographer by any means, though it is hard to deny the beauty captured in this shot. The yellows, oranges, and reds were vibrant as the trees began to prepare for winter. Looking at this photo and the anticipation of seeing it again brought to our reading today. There is a time for all things.

 

Seasons are not only a matter of weather. They also describe the chapters and circumstances we move through in life. I’ve noticed that the turning of the year often coincides with changes in our lives. Personally, I eagerly anticipate the shift from summer to fall. Most of the outdoor activities I enjoy take place at this time of the year. Though in the case of this year’s football season for Texas A&M, I must admit it has been a bit disappointing. Life’s transitions are similar. Some are exciting and welcome, while others are harder. Ecclesiastes uses seasonal language to describe this very reality. As the “Preacher” — the book’s main voice — puts it, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV).

 

However, we must remember that all of these “times” are appointed, not an accident. The word translated “season” in our reading carries the idea of an appointed time. That’s an encouraging truth when we’re walking through a season we would not have chosen for ourselves. The season you are currently experiencing may feel accidental or unexpected, but it is not outside of God’s knowledge or care. It may surprise you, but it has not surprised Him.

 

Today is a good day, regardless of the circumstances, to remember the power of God, who loves each of us and works all things toward our good!

 

The Majesty of God

 

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Psalm 19:1–6 ESV)

 

I am writing this devotional days ahead of our trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In fact, as you are reading this, if all goes according to plan, we should be arriving in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, at a cabin located on the Little Pigeon River which flows through the park. You may be familiar with this area of Tennessee. It is located just a bit from the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Mary and I have been coming here for nearly sixty years, as we made our first trip a couple of years before we were married so that the North Carolina relatives could meet me. For a young man (really just a boy at the age of 19) who had never traveled farther from home than from Galveston to College Station in Texas, it was quite the adventure. You can see some of my amazement from the view on I-40 just east of Knoxville, Tennessee I’ve attached. As we made the turn I recognized the grandeur of mountains on the horizon, though I had no idea of what more was yet to appear.

 

Every time I see this first glimpse of this place so dear to us, I am reminded of our psalm today. It was written by King David to lead us to revel in the majestic handiwork of God in His creation. I have traveled to many parts of the world; however, this place seems to bring me closer to the sheer joy of knowing the Lord than any other.

 

I hope you have such a place. Regardless of where it is geographically, today would be a great day to remind yourself that the Lord is indeed a great God who loves us and has given us all that is necessary for redemption and restoration to an eternal relationship with Him. Today join me in singing another one of the psalms:

 

Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98 ESV).

 

Make a joyful noise to the Lord today! I can assure you Mary and I will be!

 

Jude - Contend for the Faith - Pt 8

 

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24–25 ESV).

 

Jude does something surprising at the end of his letter. Many letters in the New Testament end with benedictions. We’ve become accustomed to the Apostle Paul saying something like this at the end of his letters, “Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s a benediction from God to his readers at the end of the letter. And at the end of Paul's letters, we feel like we need that blessing from God, because usually in the second half of those letters he gives us some difficult challenges, some strong exhortations, some words calling us to action in the Christian life. And by the end of those words of exhortation, we need to rest on the power and grace of God, and so we are delighted to hear those words of blessing come: “Grace, mercy, peace.” Our heart is saying, “Amen, Lord. Yes, we need Your grace and Your mercy and Your peace.”

 

But, here we are with a doxology instead of a blessing. The doxology is a praise to God for His exclusive deity. Jude is reminding us that He is the only God. We bless God because He's the only God. This doxology is ascribed to the only God. And Jude is making this point: There is only one God. There is one God only. The Triune God of the Bible, Jude says, is the only God. Now that's not politically correct. But it's good, Christian theology, and it's plainly stated int the Scripture.

 

However, that is not Jude’s finale. He also draws our attention to the truth that He's not only the only God; He is God our Savior. Jude is reminding us that God the Father is our Savior. Now it's true that the New Testament refers to Jesus as our Savior fifteen or sixteen times, but the New Testament also refers to God the Father as our Savior on at least eight occasions. And that's the focus of Jude here. He is reminding us that the Father is the source of our salvation. And so the focus is on the love and the salvation of the Heavenly Father. And Jude is just reminding us that we must look to God the Father alone for our salvation, that we must trust completely that He is able to deliver. It's God and God alone who saves. It's our perversity to look somewhere else for salvation than the one, true God. And our God loves to save and He delights in salvation, and so we must trust in Him if we are to experience eternal life. And so, Jude praises God for His exclusive deity and because He alone is God our Savior. Now that really is good news!