Thomas O. Chisholm was born in 1866 in Kentucky. He became a school teacher when he was 16 years old, demonstrating his ambition and intelligence. At 27 years old, he became a follower of Jesus Christ and eventually became a Methodist minister. He had a love for poetry and used his skill there in writing hymns. The hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a well-known, beautiful hymn based on the following Scripture verses: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV).
The lyrics of the song are:
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.
Chorus:
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!
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.
(Repeat Chorus)
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!
(Repeat Chorus)
This timeless hymn is one of my all-time favorite hymns. Our church actually sung this hymn yesterday to close out the worship service and it was beautiful, as always. I also really enjoy this version, sung by Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans; they sing a great duet together. I think there are some other good Bible verses that speak to this hymn. So, let’s review!
In the first verse, Chisholm speaks of God having no shadow. In other words, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5b ESV). The verse also speaks to God’s unfailing compassion towards us. This is a rather important attribute of God that He has revealed to us in Scripture. King David wrote it best: “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.” (Psalm 145:8-9 ESV).
This verse sings about another attribute of God twice; that God is forever unchanging. This too is very important to understand about God; for if He cares and loves us throughout eternity, then he cares and loves us still. “You are the same, and Your years have no end.” (Psalm 102:27 ESV).
I love this song’s chorus; I think Chisholm did a great job setting the tone for it. For our God is always faithful to His Word and promises. His grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness is extended to us, day in and day out. “For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 117:2 ESV). Moreover, “if we are faithless, He remains faithful.” (2 Timothy 2:13b ESV).
What do we need, most of all? Salvation. Forgiveness. Grace. Mercy. LOVE. God has and will always provide all of those things and more to us. Put your trust and hope in Him. “[Our] God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 ESV).
Verse two of the hymn speaks to the ever-present and everlasting faithfulness that God provides to us in His mercy and love. Chisholm lists out the seasons of the year, displaying that God’s faithfulness never takes a break and never grows weary. In fact, God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love is throughout all of His Creation; over all of the earth, across the face of the Sun and Moon, and throughout the entire universe. We ought to all bear witness to His power and might, as well as His faithfulness, mercy, and love for us.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)
Verse three speaks to the Gospel message: the great news of Jesus Christ’s completed work for our salvation. He stepped down from His throne in heaven to become one of us. He took all of our sin onto Himself and died on the cross for them, in our place. He was buried in the empty tomb. He was raised from the dead. He ascended back to heaven to rule over all Creation as He waits for the time when He will come to judge all the earth. Jesus Christ defeated sin, death, and the devil once, and for all people of all nations. There is nothing more joyous than this great news, for those who trust in Him!
As we wait for the Lord to return, the Holy Spirit guides us, strengthens us, comforts us, and empowers us to do His good work. Whether He will be returning today or whether He will return in another 2,000 years, all our hope is in Jesus alone. Thanks be to God for all He has done for us and given to us!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)
Soli Deo Gloria!
Philip Frank
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