It Is WELL With My Soul

That is one of my all-time favorite hymns. It's been my favorite since I was a small child. I have learned the story behind it and even wrote a paper about it in Bible College. How many hundreds of times have I heard this song? And yet, when I heard it a few weeks ago, I learned something new.

"Though Satan should buffet
Though trials should come
Let this blessed assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And has shed his own blood for my soul."

Whatever Satan tries to plague me with, whatever I've done, Jesus looked ahead in time and saw me for who and what I am and he saw my sin and still chose me and died for me anyway. He paid for it ALL. My hanging on to guilt is doing his sacrifice a disservice. I'm placing myself in God's place as judge. I don't have to do anything to receive salvation and forgiveness, just accept and receive it.

"Though his eyes were on the crowd that day,
He looked ahead in time...
He knew me, yet he loved me...
So unworthy of such mercy,
Yet when he was on the cross,
I was on his mind."

Once we receive that forgiveness, we have to let it go. Satan tries to point to our failures and say, "See? You will never measure up!" But we have to remember that God has forgiven and truly forgotten our sin.

"It happened so long ago
And I cried out for mercy back then.
I plead the blood of Jesus
Begged him to forgive my sin.
But I still can't forget it
It just won't go away.
So I wept again, 'Lord wash my sin,'But this is all He'd say,

What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away as the east is from the west.
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.

The heaviest thing you'll carry
Is a load of guilt and shame.
You were never meant to bear them
So let them go in Jesus name.
Our God is slow to anger
Quick to forgive our sin
So let Him put them under the blood
Don't bring them up again.
Cause He'll just say,

What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away as the east is from the west.
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.

Lord, please deliver me from my accusing memory.
Nothing makes me weak this way, then when I hear you say,

What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away as the east is from the west.
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness."

I had another "epiphany" while I was at church recently. Something was being said about Jesus' death. I KNOW how wonderful that is, but I found myself thinking, "well, yeah, but of course he would give up his life to save all of mankind." I mean, sheer numbers, volume! But I felt a lurch in my heart as I was nearly brought to my knees. I FELT the words, "If you had been the only one, I would have still died for you." I couldn't stop the tears that suddenly welled up. Talk about a boost of self-esteem... Or as I've heard before, "if that don't light your fire, your wood's wet!" Truly awesome!