How is your Soul?

Jesus Christ. That's why it's so important for us to always feed our souls. Just like the song title, "It is Well with My Soul." Horatio Spafford wrote that very hymn, even though he suffered through some terrible times in his life, but he trusted God to get him through the tough times. Here is his story:

Horatio Spafford knew something about all of life's unexpected challenges. He was a successful attorney and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire in 1871. Around the same time as the fire, he lost his beloved four year old son who died of scarlet fever.

At this time Horatio was thinking of a vacation and that it would do his family good to get away. He sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England and he planned on joining them after he finished some urgent business at home. However, while the ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the unthinkable happened. The ship was involved in a terrible collision and sank. More than 200 people lost their lives in that accident, including all four of Horatio Spafford's precious daughters. His wife, Anna survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that said, "Saved alone. What shall I do?"

Horatio immediately set sail for England. At one point during his voyage, the captain of the ship, aware of the tragedy that had struck the Spafford family, summoned Horatio to tell him that they were now about to pass over the spot where the shipwreck had happened.

As Horatio thought about his daughters, words of comfort and hope filled his heart and mind. He wrote them down, and they have since become a well beloved hymn:

"When peace like a river, attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows rollWhatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know It is well, it is well with my soul."

I realize that we can't always say that everything is well in all aspects of our lives. There will always be storms that come up that we have to face daily, and sometimes there will be tragedies in our lives. But with faith in our loving God and with trust in His divine help at all times, we can confidently say, "It is well, it is well with my soul." Isn't that a beautiful thought, Horatio Spafford and his wife went through so much, yet Horatio found the peace from God at that very moment of going by the place of the collision that he was able to write that beautiful hymn.

There are so many ways to fill your soul every day and night. One being music; worship the Lord with beautiful hymns that will make your soul feel alive. Another way is through prayer; it helps us in ways of opening conversations with

God. When we pray, we communicate with God first hand as if we are talking face to face with Him.

Another wonderful way of filling our souls is with the Word of God. How often do you read your Bible? Is it whenever you feel like it? Is it when you have the time? Or is it just sitting there collecting dust? I pray that you read your Bible every day. One thing you can do is what Donna and I do every morning: We read five Psalms and one Proverb; then every night, we follow a guide that helps us to read the Bible from cover to cover in one year. You can read the Bible on your own as well...read from cover to cover by reading your Bible 15 minutes daily; this will allow you to read the whole Bible in a year, or you can read 30 minutes a day and finish it in six months. Either way, I challenge you to do this every year; yes, that is right...every year. On January 1st start at the beginning of Genesis and on

December 31st finish at the end of Revelations. Then as soon as you are done reading your Bible for the year, pick it up and start all over again; do this every single year.

There are so many amazing books in the Bible that help us prepare for everything that comes our way in this life, right from Genesis to Revelation. It is a living book, so that when you read the Bible, it changes you, lifts you up. It is powerful; you feel the strength in your spirit and soul. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Reading our Bibles every day gives us an advantage over the enemy. By reading the word of God, it will prepare you to fight back against the devil, because we are up against him and his fallen angels.

They are more than we could ever handle on our own. Use the word of God as the weapon that He has given us. When we dress ourselves in the word of God every day and apply His word, we will still be standing on our feet. Truth, faith, peace, righteousness and salvation are so much more than just words. You really need to know how to apply your armor every day in your life because God's word is a weapon that is indispensable, the same way that prayer is essential in the ongoing spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:13-18 says, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with