Great Is Thy Faithfulness

lyrics by thomas o. chisholm, music by william w. runyan

Great Is Thy Faithfulness 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.

 

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.

 

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!

 

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own great 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!

 

 

Great Is Thy Faithfulness Guitar Chords

 

D            G             A7       G D                     

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

G           D         E   B7  E7   A                      

There is no shadow of turning with Thee,

A7            D               Em   D         G           

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,

             D              F#m  A7   D                  

As Thou hast been,Thou forever   wilt be.

A            G/D  D                                    

Great is Thy faithfulness!

B7    B      Am   Em                                     

Great is Thy faithfulness!

A7         D           A  D    E7 A                      

Morning by morning new mercies I  see

A7         D          D    Em   D     G                   

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

             D                  A7   D                

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

 

 

Scripture References

  • Lamentations 3:22,23 - Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
  • James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
  • Psalm 36:5 - Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
  • 2 Corinthians 1:20 - For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.

The Story

 

Thomas Chisholm wrote 1,200 poems and hymns in his lifetime until he passed away in 1960 at the age of 94. In addition to this hymn, he wrote such loved hymns as O To Be Like Thee and Living for Jesus. But it's this hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, which has become one of the most loved hymns of the 20th century.

 

Chisholm came to Christ at the age of 27, but his life wasn't easy. Even at a young age he encountered bouts of illnesses and had a hard time keeping a steady career, bouncing from job to job and encountering the ups and downs of life.

 

The hymn started as one of several poems that Chisholm sent to his friend, musician William Runyan. Runyan was so moved by this hymn that he prayed for guidance to compose the music. In 1923, Runyan published the hymn in one of his private song pamphlets.

 

Years later, the president of the Moody Bible Institute Will Houghton took a liking to the hymn and led the singing of it in chapel service so much that it became an unofficial theme some for the Bible Instititute. It was even sung during Houghton's funeral services.

 

The hymn fell into relative obscurity again until it started to be sung at Billy Graham Crusades, when it became popular throughout the world and remains to do this day.

 

Why is this hymn so popular? Like so many great hymns, it's because it's so deeply steeped in the Word of God. Reading the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3 is one thing, but singing it to the beautiful melody is another. Just like Jeremiah did in his day, and just like Chisholm in his day, today there are times in all our lives where we face extreme uncertainty and heartache and change. And yet how amazing is it to go to sleep and wake up in the morning, feel the sun shining on your face, and be filled with joy that no matter what happens in life, God is still God and His love never fails.

 

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