Hymn Reflection: “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
Our hymn for this week may have the most boring history of any hymn you’ll ever see, but the hymn itself is fantastic.
The man who wrote “Great is Thy Faithfulness” was interesting, though. Thomas O. Chisholm had several careers, including teaching school when he was just 16 years of age. Oddly, Chisholm had not gone very far in school himself, but was intelligent and was allowed to teach.
Sadly, he was a man who was not of good health, and that led him to seek many different types of employment. One of his hobbies, which he was also able to make money from, was writing. He was a journalist for a time, and he also wrote some 1200 religious poems, many of which were published in various religious magazines and periodicals.
For a time, he tried to be a minister, but his health only allowed him to do that for about a year. Finally, he became an insurance agent in New Jersey, and he would hold that job for most of the rest of his life.
All these ups and downs are really what led to the writing of his most famous poem, which became a hymn. Chisholm’s poor health led him to rely on God more and more, and though not every day was positive for him, he held to the famous words of Lamentations 3:22-23:
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (KJV)
Chisholm said that “Great is Thy Faithfulness” did not have a great story behind its composition, but was simply a poem based on these verses and his own life. He sent several poems to a musician friend named William Runyan. Runyan loved this poem and composed music for it. At first, the only way “Great is Thy Faithfulness” was published was in Runyan’s own private musical pamphlets.
Finally, the song was discovered by a leader at Moody Bible Institute, who regularly wanted the song sung in chapel. Even then, though, the song did not become used much.
However, when George Beverly Shea began singing it on a regular basis at the worldwide Billy Graham Crusades, the song began to be used and loved by many people. The hymn’s simple praise to God for how He is always faithful has helped motivate many to trust in the Lord no matter what the day might bright. After all, God’s steadfast love and mercy “are new every morning.”
Lyrics
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in the courses above–
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
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.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
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.
Picture from My Hymnal Collection
Video
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Photo credit: Sasha Wolff on Creative Commons
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