Recently, my sister and I were reacquainted with a young man we had
known as a child many years ago. We fondly reminisced about a Christmas program
when Matthew had sung—in a perfect boy soprano—the song “All Is Well” by Wayne
Kirkpatrick and Michael W. Smith. It was a wonderful memory of a song
beautifully sung.
All is well,
all is well;
Lift up your
voice and sing.
Born is now
Emmanuel,
Born is our
Lord and Savior.
Sing Alleluia,
sing Alleluia, all is well.
To hear the words of that song at Christmastime is comforting to many.
But some people are unable to absorb the message because their lives are in
turmoil. They’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, persistent unemployment,
a serious illness, or depression that will not go away. Their hearts loudly cry
out, “All is not well—not for me!”
But for those of us who celebrate the birth of our Savior—despite the
dark night of the soul we may experience—all is well because
of Christ. We are not alone in our pain. God is beside us and promises never to
leave (Heb. 13:5). He promises that His grace will be sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9). He promises to supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19). And He promises us the amazing gift of eternal life (John 10:27-28).
As we review God’s promises, we can agree with the poet John Greenleaf
Whittier, who wrote, “Before me, even as behind, God is, and all is well.”
God’s peace pillows the head when God’s promises calm the heart. (RBC)
