Is it well with your soul?
Coffee in one hand, dog in the other, -1.5 degrees, frost on the ground, clear skies, and the sun rising over Stornoway - all seems well with the world. But is it?
Reflecting on three very different pastoral encounters yesterday, I am reminded of the deep need for wisdom beyond my own to bring comfort to those facing life’s struggles. Some burdens are too heavy for human shoulders alone.
I am praying for them, for this weekend’s communion, and for all those who, for whatever reason, resist the call to come to Jesus. His saving grace and promise of eternal life remain open to all who seek Him. And so, I leave these concerns with God, trusting that He hears my prayers.
My last three sermons - ‘Being at One with God,’ ‘Being at One with Each Other,’ and ‘Choosing What is Better’ - point to the fullness of life that faith in Christ offers. Like Mary, who chose to sit at Jesus’ feet, we are called to be present with Him, to listen to His voice, and to be still in His presence. Martha’s service was not wrong, but Jesus reminded her - and us - that when He speaks, our priority should be to listen.
Later, when her brother Lazarus died, Jesus gave Martha this hope:
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
When faith allows us to believe these words, we can echo the hymn writer’s words: ‘It is well with my soul.’
This weekend, as we gather around the Lord’s Table, we take the bread and wine, remembering Christ’s sacrifice—His broken body, His shed blood. In this, we obey the One who holds the words of eternal life.
At our Alpha course (Monday nights @7pm in the Bridge Centre), we recently explored a foundational question: “Who is Jesus?”
Of all the questions we may ask in life, this is the most important. Those who seek Him with all their hearts will find Him:
Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
When we think of the recent tragic death of a young mother that shook our island community, when we see suffering and struggles all around us, we know all is not well with the world. The tension between a loving God and a world of pain is undeniable. So, how do we live within this tension?
To be loved brings comfort. But to know we are loved by God brings a peace beyond human understanding.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
So, we come to the Lord’s Table with many emotions - grief, questions, gratitude, and trust. But we come because Jesus is the One who makes it well with our souls. He is the One who carries us through life’s ups and downs.
As we remember Him, our souls are refreshed, and our hearts are encouraged. May we not only encounter His peace but also carry it with us, sharing it with those in need.
It is in knowing Christ’s peace that we can answer "Yes" to His question: "Do you believe this?"
And if we believe—what is stopping us from committing our lives fully to Him?
