“Great is Thy Faithfulness” is one of my all-time favorite hymns. Every time this song is announced in the church bulletin, I feel joy in my heart! No matter where we are at, which emotions we are feeling, dwelling in God’s faithful presence brings both hope and joy.
Written by Thomas Chisholm in 1923, this hymn is a beautiful summary of how God’s faithfulness endures throughout our lifetime. Chisholm started his career as a teacher at age 16, then tried his hand at both journalism and poetry. At approximately age 26, he become a Christian, then 10 years later he became a minister. Unfortunately, his health forced to resign a year later. He later became a life insurance agent. Throughout his lifetime, he drew on his experiences and love of God, and wrote over 1,200 Christian poems. Over 800 were published and many were turned into hymns. “Great is Thy Faithfulness” continues to be one of his most popular hymns.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Stanza 1
The first stanza of “Great is Thy Faithfulness” is a beautiful picture of God’s unchangeable nature. He is faithful, does not turn or change, and has unfailing compassion. We can count on him to be the same today, tomorrow, and forever.
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
First Stanza of “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
It is important to remember that the words of this entire hymn are a reflection on the words in Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV), which says “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.”
While these words seem somewhat happy and positive, they directly follow many verses of lament by the prophet Jeremiah. In Verse 1 (ESV), Jeremiah says “I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath.” Then in Lamentations 3:2-18 (ESV), he continues to describe the punishments that God has inflicted with words like “darkness without any light..broken my bones…bitterness and tribulation…like the dead of long ago…though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer…tore me to pieces…a target for his arrow…laughingstock of all peoples…made my teeth grind on gravel…my endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.”
These do not sound like reasons to celebrate God’s faithfulness! In Jeremiah’s case, his suffering was due to the sins of the Israelites, rather than for personal sin.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Refrain
Fortunately, Jeremiah does not seem to be completely stuck in his bleak outlook. After a very long lament, he then makes a transition in verse 21-23 (ESV): “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” These verses are the basis for this entire hymn and you will see verses 22 and 23 repeated in the refrain.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Refrain of “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!
It is such good news that no matter how bleak things look, God is faithful! No matter how bad today is, tomorrow is new. God gives us exactly what we need, when we need it. Even if things are not perfect, we can get glimpses of his goodness and mercy in the smaller things.
When we combine the first stanza and refrain with what we know about the earlier verses in Lamentations 3, we see that our sin and the sins of others cause us much grief. We really should be consumed by punishment for our own sins and consequences from sin of others, but fortunately, we have a gracious and compassionate God who delights in being merciful. When we turn to him, he will begin to make all things new and we will begin to see the mercies, deserved or not, that he grants to us.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Stanza 2
The second stanza helps us to reflect on the faithfulness, mercy, and love that we have witnessed in an entire lifetime. When we focus on a particular bad moment, it can be hard to see God’s goodness, but if we look back on the seasons throughout our entire lifetime, as well the entirety of creation, we can begin to see that a few moments of difficulty do not mean that God has abandoned us. Jeremiah had every humanly right to feel forsaken by God, yet he chose patience and hope instead!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Second Stanza of “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
I recently wrote a blog post exploring the theme of needing patience as we live in a broken world. Why is God so slow to correct sin, pain, and brokenness? Why doesn’t he just eliminate the worst sinners? My conclusions were that it is out of extreme love for those who have not come to know him yet, that he does not end our sin and the consequences that it causes. To stop these people from sinning would be to stop their ability to recognize their sin and turn to God. To have a final judgement right now would indeed end all the trouble in the world, but how many souls would choose death over live, and be forever lost in the process?
In the meantime, as we encounter sin in every corner, we can be assured that we do have a good and gracious God who does provide mercies in the midst of suffering. It is essential that we look for them! Furthermore, we need to have patience that allows us to trust that God does have a plan to eventually set things right.
Read: Embracing Patience: God is Not in a Hurry, Why Are We?
Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Stanza 3
In the 3rd stanza, just as in the first verses of Lamentations 3, we continue to see that sin causes us significant trouble. Sometimes these difficulties are of our own making, and other times they are the making of others. Actions have consequences outside our own little bubble and the world needs pardon from sin before we can collectively move forward into an lasting and enduring peace.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Third Stanza of “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
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]
As we wait for Jesus to return, we need to lean into the Holy Spirit to gain strength to deal with today’s consequences and trouble. It is only then that we can move forward into the hope granted by the heavenly realm. In heaven, sin will be abolished and we will receive all blessings and no punishment. What great hope is that? Great is thy faithfulness!
Reflection Questions
Consider the following reflection questions
- How has the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” resonated with your own experiences or beliefs about God’s faithfulness in your life?
- Reflect on the analogy of life’s seasons in the second stanza. Can you identify moments in your life when it was challenging to see God’s goodness? How did looking back on those seasons change your perspective?
- Consider the discussion on patience and God’s timing in addressing sin and brokenness. How does the concept of waiting for God’s plan resonate with your understanding of faith and hope?
- Share instances where you’ve experienced God’s mercies in the midst of difficult circumstances. How does actively seeking and recognizing these mercies impact your outlook on challenges?
- Contemplate the idea that sin causes trouble and consequences for both yourself and for others. How do you reconcile the idea of collective consequences for sin with the pursuit of enduring peace, as described in the third stanza?
- Explore your thoughts on the strength, hope, and blessings presented in the third stanza. How do these influence your perspective on life’s challenges?
- Considering the overarching message of the hymn and the reflections provided, how can you practically apply the themes of faithfulness, patience, and hope in your day-to-day life?
Respond
What do you think about this hymn? Consider sharing your insights and experiences in the comments below!
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English Standard Version (ESV): Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
King James Version (KJV): Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Bible public domain.
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