Story Behind the Song Great is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Obadiah Chisolm
(1866-1960) had a difficult adult life. His health was so fragile that there
were periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts
of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs
in order to make ends meet.
After coming to Christ at
age 27, Thomas found great comfort in the Scriptures, and in the fact that God
was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and provide his needs.
Lamentations 3:22-23 was one of his favorite scriptures: “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.”
While away from home on a
missions trip, Thomas often wrote to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a
relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these 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.
For several years ,the
hymn got very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible
Institute professor who loved it so much and requested it sung so often at
chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the college.
It was not until 1945
when George Beverly Shea began to sing Great
is Thy Faithfulness at the
Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world.
Thomas Chisolm died in
1960 at age 94. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 poems and hymns
including O To Be Like Thee and Living
for Jesus
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Refrain:
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.
Refrain
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.
Refrain
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!
Refrain
“I will sing of the
mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness
to all generations.” (Psalm
89:1)
Here is a modern
Rendition of the song by Israel Houghton
Story Behind the Song Great is Thy Faithfulness
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