Thomas Obadiah Chisolm was born in 1866. While away on a missions trip, Chisolm often wrote to his good friend William Runyan. He would occasionally include poems in his letters. One such poem moved Runyan to compose the music for what became the hymn featured in this week’s video, Great Is Thy Faithfulness.
The hymn was later discovered by a professor at Moody Bible Institute, and it soon became the unofficial song of the college. But it wasn’t until George Beverly Shea started singing the hymn at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades during the 1940’s that it became widely known around the world.
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!
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!
Thank you for listening!
“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)
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