By Gary K. Wheeler

I grew up in a United Methodist Church that used the 1964 Methodist Hymnal. It had what I thought were all the great hymns of the faith. It wasn’t until orientation week at Asbury College my freshman year that I was introduced to Great is Thy Faithfulness, which became my class hymn. Over the years, it became one of my favorites.

The title comes from Scripture, but from an unlikely source. Not the Psalms or Proverbs, or a line of praise from one of the prophets or the apostles. It comes from the Book of Lamentations, which is a collection of poems that lament over the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. That’s right, amongst what amounts to a funeral eulogy, the author wrote these words:

“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, ESV).

The text of the hymn was written by Thomas Chisholm, who started out as a schoolteacher, then a newspaper editor, before accepting Christ. And while the text did not originate from some catastrophic event, it came from his daily experience of meeting the Lord and experiencing His faithfulness.

The first verse has a tender, intimate feel to it, as the writer proclaims his praise:

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

What tremendous words. God will never turn His back to you. His love will never fail you. Despite all the turmoil of this life, He never changes!

The chorus should be our daily adoration to the Lord:

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

Sing this hymn (as well as others) as part of your morning time with the Lord. You will feel His presence as you praise His faithfulness.