His Faithfulness

October 30

Lamentations 3-5

Psalm 119:57-64

Proverbs 26:8-10

Hebrews 9:1-10

His 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.  ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  Lamentations 3:22-26  ESV

One of my favorite hymns was written in 1923 by Thomas O. Chisholm. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”¹⁰  draws from the words in this passage in Lamentations and James 1:17 about the eternal and steadfast faithfulness of our heavenly Father.    Mr. Chisholm was born in Franklin, KY just down the road from where I live in Bowling Green.  He was a schoolteacher and editor of the local newspaper.  He later moved to Louisville where he served as an editor of the “Pentecostal Herald,” a weekly publication of theological essays, news articles, missionary letters and revival reports.  At the age of 37, he became a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South  in Louisville.  He wrote over 1,200 poems, many of which were adapted into hymns.  His biography on Hymnary.org states that, “His aim in writing was to incorporate as much Scripture as possible and to avoid flippant or sentimental themes.”¹¹  This resonates with my soul.  Many of the old hymns I grew up singing hold deep theological truth that we shouldn’t discard in favor of catchy tunes.  I’m all in favor of taking the words of the old hymns and setting them to more contemporary music, but we need to preserve the treasure of depth and meaning in their 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 will 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.

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 and ten thousand beside.