sunday songs

Great is Thy Faithfulness, The Song and the Story

Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960) had bad health and at times, he was bedridden. When he was able, he pushed himself to work hard just to make ends meet.  He became a Christian at 27, and found great comfort in God’s word, especially that God was faithful and gave him strength and met his needs.  One of his favorite verses was It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23. 

When he was away on a mission trip, he wrote to a good friend, William Runyan (a relatively unknown musician).  Several poems that Chisolm wrote were sent with his letters. Runyan found one of Williams' poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics. ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ was published in 1923. 

In 1945, George Beverly Shea began to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness at Billy Graham crusades.

I love this song...

‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’

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!

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 will be.

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.

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!