His Great Faithfulness

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  

Many know and love the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Taken from a poem by Thomas Chisolm, the lyrics were born in adversity. Chisolm, the poet of more than 800 works, was born in a log cabin outside of Franklin, Tennessee, in 1868. He was educated in district schools, and by the time he was a teenager, he was a teacher. He became the editor of his local newspaper. He found Christ as Savior, and later edited a larger newspaper. Sensing a call to ministry, he would go on to become a pastor, but an illness soon closed that period in his life. It may have been during this time of adversity that he wrote this particular poem. His poems were sent to William Runyan, a musician with Moody Bible Institute, who found “Great is Thy Faithfulness” worthy of being set to music. It would later find wide acceptance when sung by George Beverly Shea at Billy Graham’s crusades. 

God is ever faithful. His mercies never end. As the prophet Jeremiah found comfort in the words of today’s verse, this comfort comes from the rich compassion and deep love of the Lord. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan writes, “The passage is full of beauty, as it deals with that tender compassion of God which had never been absent.” 

How do your mornings go? Are you aware that God is with you, that He is faithful, loving, merciful, and compassionate? Does this give you hope for your day? Even in the midst of catastrophe or great sadness, your reliance on His comfort, love, compassion, and faithfulness is the resource you can rely upon. The Lord is devoted to you. As you and your family and friends gather around your Thanksgiving dinner, give Him your deepest thanks!