Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Another one of the great hymns of our day and days past! Great Is Thy Faithfulness was first published in 1923. The poem was written by Thomas Chisholm and later the words were set to music written by William Runyan. I’ll get to this song’s path to popularity a little later on, but before that we need to understand more about the poem that is the basis for the song and it’s meaning to the writer.

Chisholm was born and raised in Franklin Kentucky. He became a schoolteacher at the age of 16 and taught at the one-room school he was brought up in. In his 20s he became an editor for the local newspaper and later became a Christian at age 27. Ten years later he became an ordained Methodist pastor, but was only able to serve one year due to poor health. He later found his way to New Jersey with his family and spent the rest of his life there.

Because of Chisholm’s health issue, he was not able to earn much of a financial living despite his obvious talents and strong work ethic. About this part of his life story, he wrote, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.”

It is with that deep understanding of faith that Chisholm was able to take the verses in Lamentations 3:22-23 and turn them into this beautiful poem and later hymn. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

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.

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!

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]

So often, God uses seemingly unsuccessful people, by worldly standards, to accomplish great things in His Kingdom. And that’s where we find the uplifting story of how this song became so popular.

In 1923, Chisholm sent a collection of poems to William Runyan, who at the time was a musician for Moody Bible Institute and an editor for Hope Publishing, a hymnal publishing company. Runyan recalls being so taken by this poem in particular that he “prayed most earnestly that my tune might carry over its message in a worthy way”.

Runyan’s connection to Moody included his friend Dr. Will Houghton, the president of Moody Bible Institute at the time. After hearing the completed hymn, it became a favorite of Dr. Houghton’s and he invited a young and not-yet-discovered vocalist named George Beverly Shea to sing for Moody’s radio station. As the song grew in popularity among college students, it was regularly played on the radio.

Through those radio broadcasts, another not-yet-discovered person by the name of Billy Graham heard the song and became familiar with Shea. Billy would go on to invite Shea to join his ministry and the song had already become a favorite of Graham’s. Through that ministry, God spread this song all over the world.

This hymn is so rich with truth and hope. It reminds us of God’s steadfastness, faithfulness, and nearness to us.

“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 (KJV)