His Beauty Fills Our Soul (Psalm 103)

We had come to the end of our prayer time together. There was silence. It was not the absence of sound that we were experiencing but the presence of the One to whom we had been speaking. From the depths of my being a plea was formed, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds” (Psalm 103:1,2).

The quiet brought with it a deep sense of rest. The silence was broken when one by one we began to sing:

Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am find out the greatness of Thy loving heart
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee
And Thy beauty fills my soul
For by Thy transforming power
Thou hast made me whole
Oh, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea
Oh, how marvelous Thy goodness
Lavished all on me!
...
Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus
Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory
Sunshine of my Father’s face
Keep me ever trusting, resting
Fill me with Thy grace
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart *

As I thought about God’s lavish love my mind again went to the words of Psalm 103: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love towards those who fear Him, As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:11-13). These words breathed peace to my soul.

My prayer partner’s eyes glistened as she shared a memory of the time she had sat at her friend’s death bed and listening to the song “Jesus I am Resting, Resting.” Our hearts were filled with a sense of gratitude for a God who knows that our days are like grass. He understands that we bloom like a flower of the field and when the wind passes over it it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. Yet, from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him. Once more we were quieted by His love as His beauty filled our souls.

*Song by Steve Green