THOUGH THE MOUNTAINS FALL INTO THE SEA
Psalm 46 not only inspired Be Still My Soul, but, amazingly, Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress is Our God, a song all about spiritual warfare. Martin Luther would often say to his melancholy and frightened friend, Philip Melanchthon, “Come Philip, let us sing the forty-sixth.” They certainly faced a frightening battle, but because of their trust in God, were used by Him to lead the Reformation. Thank God.
Shortly after Steve’s diagnosis, our daughter Sally told him she wanted to sing a hymn for him in church that Sunday. He requested A Mighty Fortress, for God had told him to fight. (We didn’t understand what our true battle was yet, but we did know we were in a battle.)
What happened that Sunday I will never forget. This is from The God of All Comfort.
Sunday, August 17th
Two weeks after Steve’s diagnosis
Sally sang “A Mighty Fortress” in church this morning. Annie and Beth on one side of Steve, pressed into him, and me on the other, John in the pew behind him with his hand on Steve’s shoulder. Sally sang it as a fighting song — I’d never heard it sung that way — I don’t think I’d really understood it before. I’ve heard it sung majestically, but never with righteous anger. Yet, it seemed so right. It is a call to battle against Satan and all the spiritual workers of darkness. Sally kept shaking her fist at Satan, at “the prince of darkness grim,” at the one “armed with cruel hate,” at the one who must not “this battle win.” Each verse grew stronger, and our hearts found courage for the fight ahead.
But when Sally got to the phrase “let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also,” she looked at Steve and faltered. It was too much for her, and she stopped, paralyzed with grief. Suddenly — and I will never in all my life forget this — Judy (the pianist) began to sing, then the congregation rose — standing in the gap for us, finishing Sally’s song for her. They are with us.
THE QUESTIONS (Take one or two a day or all at once.)
1. Take Psalm 46 slowly:
A. What do you learn about life and about God from verses 1-3?
B. What is “the city of our Lord?” Who is she, and what do you learn about her from verses 4-6?
C. (Challenge question!) Why do you think that in this context God is called “The God of Jacob?” What lie does this title defeat?
2. Comment on the above story in this post from The God of All Comfort? What application do you see for your life?
3. Do some research on Luther, the battle he had, his friend Philip, the writing of A Mighty Fortress and share what you learn.
4. Tell us about your favorite renditions of this song.
5. Memorize the first verse of A Mighty Fortress and as you do, what do you learn about our enemy? About our God?
6. Memorize the second verse of A Mighty Fortress and as you do, what do you learn about yourself? What does “Lord Sabboath” mean?
7. How does this meet you where you are right now?
You can find more help for these questions in the studyguide The God of All Comfort, but you can also find answers in other ways. We have an amazing group. We are in a battle against the enemy, but we are definitely in it together. Let us pray for one another as we begin this part of the study, for we need one another’s prayers.
Lord, I thank You for the women you have called to this study, and who are diligently pressing into You. I see You transforming their lives and their lives rippling out to transform others. Protect us, put a shield around us, and remind us continually of your great love, for the enemy wants us to believe you do not love us. I ask this in Jesus name.
WHEN SORROWS LIKE SEA BILLOWS ROLL
This is a drawing of an historic tragedy at sea. On board the Villa de Havre, which sunk after being struck by an iron ship, was Horatio Spafford’s wife and his four young daughters: Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanita. All of his daughters drowned. His wife was rescued from a plank of wood and taken to Europe where she telegraphed her husband with these famous words:
Saved alone. What shall I do?
He came on the next ship, but asked the captain to stop at the place his four little girls drowned. After looking into those deep dark waters, he went back to his stateroom and penned: It is Well With My Soul.
Spafford has been called a contemporary Job, and he was. Most of us know this story — but there is more. He was a wealthy Chicagoan who loved the Lord deeply — he was extremely active, at risk to himself in the anti-slavery movement. He was a great friend and supporter of D. L. Moody. Like Job, his first tragedy was loss of property, for Spafford lost tremendous wealth in the great Chicago fire. After the fire, the family decided to go to a Moody crusade in Europe, but Spafford was detained and sent his family ahead. It was then, like Job, that he lost all of his children. Spafford, like Job, trusted God and clung to Him.
After this tragedy, Spafford and his wife were blessed with a son — a son who died at the age of four. (If you happen to be a Netflix member, I heartily recommend renting the documentary on five songs called “Amazing Grace” — not the movie about William Wilberforce, though it has the same title — but a documentary on five songs, including It Is Well With My Soul.)
Please memorize all of It Is Well With My Soul, quieting yourself in the presence of God with it each morning, before you study.
Here are your questions to ponder for January 7, 8, and 9:
1. Looking at the first chapter of Job, what parallels do you see between Job and Horatio?
2. Ponder verse 1 of It Is Well With My Soul. What new thoughts do you have, knowing the Spafford story?
3. According to the first chapter of Job, what was the reason that Job suffered? What thoughts or questions do you have about this?
4. Why did Satan think Job served God? What does loss reveal about our hearts?
5. Ponder the second verse of It Is Well With My Soul. Do you think Satan may have also been behind Horatio’s tragedies? Why or why not?
6. What does Satan hope will happen to the Christian who suffers loss? What truths, according to the 2nd and 3rd verses of It Is Well With My Soul allowed Horatio to overcome Satan?
7. How can you apply this to your storm right now — or to storms in the future?
Finally — I want to issue a personal invitation to anyone in the Chicago area to sign up and come to the live event next Thursday at Moody. I’ll be there and would love to meet any bloggers. Amy Shreve will be there, playing “It is Well With My Soul” on her harp as well as other great songs. I realize most of you cannot, though we covet your prayers, and hope you’ll listen online or on the radio! You can connect to the Midday site through my homepage.
I’m praying for you as you study! Thanks for praying for each other as well. He is with us.
Would you like to go through The God of All Comfort beginning January 1?
I’ve been praying about where the Lord would have me take this blog next and I’d love your input. We could return to The Song of Songs, or we could do through some of the key concepts in The God of All Comfort, as so many of you are personally facing the pain of betrayal, bereavement, or broken dreams or love someone who is. This would give you time to get the book from either secular or Christian bookstores, or Amazon or Christianbook.com — and you wouldn’t absolutely have to have the book. I’d share a brief excerpt and ask a few questions to reflect on.
I honestly believe it is the best book I’ve done — and would love to do this — but only if there is a desire out there to participate. Could you give me your input? I’d so appreciate it!