I love this song, and the part that strikes me… OR… Though I love the whole song, the part that strikes me… the most is the second verse. “Far be it from me to not believe even when my eyes can't see. And this mountain that's in front of me will be thrown into the midst of the sea.”
What mountains are you facing? What sins, obstacles, hardships, desires are making your journey difficult? Everyone has mountains, even missionaries. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t realize how many mountains I would be faced with when I began my journey to Papua New Guinea. Mountains of pride, loneliness, and immaturity have all risen up in my way. Various circumstances in such a distant and developing country have made me feel so empty and weak. When our work at times seems to not bear the fruit we assume it will, in these times, how can we still say “it is well with my soul?” If we are following God’s will, then how is any of this fair?
Let’s get one thing straight, fair has nothing to do with it (can I get an amen for that!). Jesus, fully God, saved me from an eternity in hell. This is not fair. It is not what I deserved. It is so much greater. Now that I am saved by him and united with him, I must be transformed to look more and more like him. Mountains are a part of that process.
Fun fact: mountaineers have a special name for the most difficult part of the climb. No matter what mountain, the steepest and most dangerous part of the climb is called the ‘crux’ which means ‘cross’ in Latin. Paul wrote it so eloquently in Philippians 3:8-10, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…”
What I mean by all of this is that mountains are a part of life and most definitely a part of the Christian life. Paul’s life was littered with them. The landscape of Paul’s life was filled with them. They are a certainty. But they are only temporary. Our God has the power to throw these mountains into the sea should it be His will. He’s done it time and time again in the Bible and in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. And even if He does not for reasons that are beyond what we can comprehend, our God has saved us. Our God will deliver us to an eternity with Him. I for one would like to be able to say to Him on that day, “through it all, through it all, my eyes are/were on you.” I would like to hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” And because we have a God who is our strength, our refuge, our hope, our redeemer, and so much else/more, no matter the circumstance, I can say, “It is well with my soul.”