Music Monday: “It Is Well” by Caleb and Kelsey Grimm
By: Debbie Waltz
If you’ve been following my recent posts, you know our church is studying Hebrews. The overarching theme emphasizes God’s sovereignty and highlights His trustworthiness in every facet of our lives. It’s important to understand that this is not a new challenge; this is a difficulty that the early Church also encountered and debated extensively. The initial chapters of the book of Hebrews detail the early church’s struggle to reconcile adherence to Old Testament laws with the newly established New Testament covenant. Later on, their struggles continued when they faced religious persecution and were tempted to return to their Jewish roots. This New Testament epistle provides believers with a message of hope and resilience, inspiring them to stand firm in their convictions and beliefs.
What makes this covenant so different from all the others?
To put it simply, Jesus. He is the one responsible for keeping the covenant with us. Just as God put Abraham asleep and completed the covenant with him, God knows we can’t save ourselves. (Genesis 15:12).That’s why God sent his only Son to die on the cross for everyone who professes faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Once we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God’s family and will receive our eternal inheritance. This means several things for us now as well as in the future.
What it means for us right now
1. We Believe. Upon our faith, we are a part of God’s family. Unlike our human relationships, God can’t fail us. Even though we are flawed and imperfect creatures prone to sin, God’s love embraces us exactly as we are. Besides all of this, he continues to generously and unexpectedly bless us with his abundant grace and mercy, showering us with undeserved and overflowing favor. Despite our mistakes, he forgives us and makes masterpieces out of our messes. Although we may plan and hope for certain outcomes, it is important to remember that God’s plan often surpasses our own limited perspectives, and therefore, things may not always unfold exactly as we envision. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
2. We Belong. Today, society measures success by what we contribute. Our professional accomplishments can (and often do) influence how others perceive and judge us, thus substantially shaping their overall impression of our capabilities and character. As Christians, we don’t have to worry about such a standard. God has done all the work for us on the cross. He exchanges our dirty rags for his righteousness. (Philippians 3:1-11). But before that, God loved us. (Romans 5:8)
What it means for us in the future
When God adopts us and we belong to Him, we have peace in the security of our eternal life. This peace exceeds our understanding. Let’s look at an example that illustrates this kind of peace. In 1873 Horatio Spafford wrote the lyrics of ‘It is Well’ after a series of tragic events in his life. Horatio was a successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago. He and his wife, Anna, had five children, four daughters and a son. Tragically their son died from pneumonia at just two years old. Later that same year, in 1871, Horatio lost much of his business in the great Chicago fires. Just a few years later, in November 1873, Horatio’s wife and their four daughters boarded the ship, Ville du Havre, bound for Europe. Four days into the voyage, records show that the Ville du Havre collided with another ship. In just twelve minutes the Ville du Havre sunk in the Atlantic Ocean, and of the 313 passengers on board, 226 people drowned, including the Spafford children. Amazingly, Anna was rescued and survived the shipwreck. She sent a telegram to her husband who booked passage on the next available ship to be with his wife. According to records, as the ship went over the place where his children drowned, he wrote the lyrics to “It is Well”
Thanks to Jesus sacrifice, we have an eternal inheritance that CANNOT BE:
- Corrupted
- Defiled by evil
- It does not fade.
INSTEAD IT IS PROTECTED AND KEPT.
Remember what 1 Peter 3-5 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Caleb and Kelsey’s cover can be found here:
