Lyrics
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.
Refrain:
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.
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!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
It Is Well With My Soul places steadfast peace beside sorrow, temptation, and human helplessness. The opening image does not deny grief; instead, it confesses spiritual rest even when troubles rise like waves. Each verse supplies a reason for that confidence. Christ sees the sinner’s need, bears sin at the cross, and gives an assurance strong enough to shape the soul’s response in trial. The refrain returns to that settled confession without pretending that hardship has disappeared.
The hymn then looks beyond present circumstances to the day when faith becomes sight and the Lord descends. Its movement from distress, to the cross, to final hope gives the words a clear gospel pattern. Biblical images such as sin nailed to the cross, clouds rolled back, and the trumpet’s sound support its language of forgiveness and expectation. In this setting, wellness is not physical comfort or favorable circumstances; it is peace founded on Christ’s completed work and promised return.
Related Scripture
- Colossians 2:14 Paul describes the record of debt as canceled and nailed to the cross.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16 The passage connects the Lord’s descent with the sounding of a trumpet.