Taught to Know: It Is Well

In the traditional hymn It Is Well with My Soul, Horatio Spafford writes, “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know, it is well, it is well with my soul.” The phrase, “taught me to know,” prompts us to reflect on a settled truth. Jesus gives that truth in John 16:33, not promising a trouble-free life but teaching us to be of good cheer because He has overcome. This victory grounds the believer in peace. It is truly well with the soul that belongs to Him.

This peace is not the denial of tribulation; it is confidence in Christ while tribulation is present. In 2 Kings 4:26, the Shunammite woman is asked whether all is well with her and her family. Her answer is, “It is well.” Those words are not spoken because everything around her looks well. They are spoken from a faith that looks Godward.

Christ has overcome a world that brings tribulation. He has answered the guilt of sin. He robbed death of its final word. Therefore, “it is well” is not wishful thinking; it is the settled truth of a soul kept in Christ.

The believer can say, “It is well,” not because life is easy, but because Christ has overcome. Not because every sorrow has passed, but because every sorrow is under His rule. Not because we understand everything, but because we belong to Him.

So whatever our lot today, remember the Lord has taught us to know: It is well with my soul.

Additional note: Horatio Spafford wrote, “Thou hast taught me to know.” When P. P. Bliss composed the music and the hymn was published in 1876, the line was printed “Thou hast taught me to say.” That later wording has carried forward in hymnals, however, Spafford’s collection of poetry, Waiting for the Morning and Other Poems, published in 1878, retains “know.” The difference is not minor. To “say” it is well is one thing; to “know” it is well is deeper. One speaks of mere expression; the other of settled conviction. For this reason, “taught me to know” fittingly underscores the truth of this devotion.