How Great Thou Art: A Song from the House of My Sojourning
It was another late night following a long day of caregiving when I slipped beneath the covers
and sank into bed. The weighty cares and deep concerns surrounding Matthew’s special needs
and both boys’ care pressed heavily upon me. A deep, involuntary sigh rose from the recesses
of my soul as I lifted a feeble prayer into the darkness. As I did so, the words of this majestic
hymn settled in my mind, and I spoke them back to Him as a prayer.
Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
A quiet calm settled over me as I lay in bed, whispering the truth woven into these hymn lyrics
up into stillness. He created the Earth. The universe silently displayed His majesty day and
night. His power is massive, yet His tender concern for my broken heart stunned and quieted
my soul. Psalm 147:3-5
This massive, resplendent God of the Creation stooped to walk with me in this life marked by
heartache, disappointment, and endless menial work. The same God Who knew each star by
name also cared about the sadness churning within me day after day. He was never too busy to
hear me speak of it. He welcomed our ongoing conversation. As I soaked my soul in this truth,
the weight within me shifted from my shoulders to His.
I continued whispering into the darkness:
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin
Ah, the blessed truth of our great salvation! The truth of our great salvation poured into my
soul from Romans 8:31-32
Everything good we enjoy in this life, and all our hope for eternity in heaven, is made possible
through Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. Since God went to such lengths to save us, He was
certainly well aware of my plight, of Matthew’s ongoing needs, and of the burden I bore each
day. He knew what He was doing now, the same as He did at Calvary.
Tears streamed into the pillowcase as I continued:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art
That glorious day, I will run and leap into His arms. I will fall in grateful worship at His nail
scarred feet, for without Him, salvation would be forever out of reach. Any hope of heaven
would be a false and empty hope. However, because of Him, it is all our glorious reality.
My weary soul soared on the wings of worship as I lay whispering to Him in the darkness.
Gazing forward in faith, I anticipated the day I would whisper my words of worship at His nail-
scarred feet. Until that day, I would breathe the same words over my boys as a prayer, and
throughout my days of caregiving. As I spoke them into the darkness that night as a prayer of
grateful worship, I knew each time I encountered those lyrics, I would remember this night.
That night, those hymn lyrics became a song from the house of my sojourning-- the very thing
mentioned in this Scripture. Psalm 119: 54-55
Whether I sang them softly to myself as I folded another basket of laundry, whispered them as a
prayer over my boys, or belted them out with gusto among the congregation of the redeemed,
they would forever be a song from the house of my sojourning. It was a song rising from my
battle-weary heart that would forever be my heart’s cry and the song of my soul.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art