Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thous changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be
Sunday morning our congregation sang the hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness. It is hard for me to get through this beauty without shedding a tear. This hymn was sung at my daughter’s wedding. And this hymn was sung at my mother’s funeral. These two godly women have served a huge part of my life. I have seen much compassion in their lives because of their love of Christ, and this compassion has poured into mine. The faithfulness of God overwhelms me at times. I am so grateful for the faithfulness of my Heavenly Father.
Thomas Obediah Chisholm is the author of this hymn. Born in a log cabin in Kentucky, this young man started teaching school at the age of 16. He wasn’t a follower of Jesus until he was 27, after hearing the preaching of the evangelist, H. C. Morrison. By the way, I came to Christ after the preaching of a great evangelist from the south who spent a whole week in Creston, IA, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Mr. Chisholm’s health played a big role in his life….off again, on again with illnesses as he also tried journalism, insurance and evangelism. Lamentations 3 became very meaningful to him with his health issues. Lam 3:22-23 “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Yes, Chisholm believed this timely segment of scripture. He held on to it.
Summer and winter And springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars In their courses above;
Join with all nature In manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, Mercy and love.
From New Jersey, Thomas sent several poems to his friend, William Runyan, who was “so moved by this one that he prayed earnestly for special guidance in composing the music.” (From “Then Sings My Soul, by author Robert J. Morgan.) In 1923, from Baldwin, Kansas, this simple hymn was published in Runyan’s private song pamphlets. Not much happened with it for several years, then Dr. Will Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago got a hold of it and began singing it during chapel. It became the unofficial theme song for Moody Institute, and when Runyan died, it was sung at his funeral. George Beverly Shea got a hold of it and started singing it at Billy Graham Crusades all around the world.
Pardon for sin And a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence To cheer and to guide;
Strength for today And bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, With ten thousand beside
Thomas died in Ocean Park, NJ in 1960. 1,200 poems and hymns were written by him during his lifetime. “Living for Jesus,” was another famous hymn. He used his gifts well. Are you utilizing the gifts God has given to you to share in your love of Christ and what He has done for you? Oh, I hope so. He has gifted everyone in His body for kingdom work! Isn’t that incredible!
Chorus:
Great is Thy Faithfullness, Great is Thy Faithfulness
Morning by Morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy Hand Hath Provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.
There are those in this world who want you to think that we don’t need God; that He isn’t faithful. Don’t listen to them. Look up, my friend and remember, John 14:6. Look it up, smile and know the God of the universe is very faithful. He made you, and with you comes plans and purposes only you can fulfill. The Christian life is a wonderful life and it lasts forever. Hop on board, if you haven’t already.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1WhFtVp0o
Another touching devotion, Denise.
You should collect them all with the beautiful photography and publish a book. I would buy it. I’m sure others would, too.
Thank you, Joan! I think you’re my biggest fan! Be careful—I might get puffed up and burst! Ha Ha!
You’re idea about the book of devotions with added photography sounds delicious to me. I’m intrigued by it and I will certainly keep this in mind for our future. May the Lord continue to bless you, dear cousin. You have such a heart for God!
Denise
Thank you for sharing the history of Great Is Thy Faithfulness. I grew up with it and ended up having it memorized by the time I became an adult, as well as becoming familiar with Moody Bible Institute, which our church supported, and George Beverly Shea, which we often heard on the radio, along with seeing him in person at a Billy Graham Crusade. Reading your post brought back good memories! It has brought comfort, encouragement, joy, and peace to my heart, in good and in tough times over the years. When the new “worship” music and bands became standard fare in many churches, in spite of efforts to include some of the hymns occasionally, we lost the beauty, the theology, and much more that came from the singing of the hymns each week at church. One of the things that motivated me to recently sign up for your emails is the inclusion of some of the “old”, but wonderful, hymns. Thank you, again!
Hi Cherie! Thanks so much for your beautiful response. Yes, I long for the hymns as so many are rich in scripture and theology, causing my heart to rejoice with my Savior as I worship Him in song. Bringing back memories of people and places are added bonuses, aren’t they? Yes, His faithfulness is great and His favor is amazing. Thank you for blessing us with your loving response and thank you for reading our blog. We appreciate it so much!
In Christ’s love,
Denise