Great Is Thy Faithfullness

One of my favorite hymns is Great Is Thy Faithfulness. In fact I have just worked up a guitar arrangement to play at my Church. It is a wonderful reminder that God has been faithful to me in all that I do.

I may not be wealthy, I may struggle with my daily life, my health is not as good as it was in earlier times, but my God is faithful and has always provided for all my needs.

This song was written as a poem back in 1923 by Thomas O. Chisholm as his expression that God had been faithful to him throughout his life. The lyrics refer to Lamentation 3:22-23 Lamentations 3:22-23 from the New International Version “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Thomas Obadiah Chisholm

Chisholm was born in 1866 in a Kentucky log cabin. At age 16 he became a teacher. Eleven years later he had a life changing experience during a revival led by Dr. Henry Clay Morrison where he devoted his life to following God through Jesus Christ.

Chisholm went to work as a Methodist minister, but this only lasted for one year. His health was failing. We are not certain how he supported himself for the next 16 years. We do know that he was editor of the Pentecostal Herald which was published in Louisville Kentucky. At age 43 he began a career selling life insurance in New Jersey.

In 1923 he wrote the poem Great Is Thy Faithfulness. During his lifetime Chisholm wrote over 1200 sacred poems.

Chisholm retired to the Methodist Home for the Aged in Ocean Grove New Jersey and died in 1960.

His poem, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, was submitted to William M. Runyan at a time that Runyan was affiliated with the Moody Bible Institute.

William M. Runyan

Runyan was born in 1870 in Marion New York. His father was a Methodist minister. At 14 years of age the family moved to Marion Kansas.

Runyan had a wonderful talent for music and served as the organist for his father’s congregation. William Runyan was ordained as a Methodist minister at the age of 21 and pastored several congregations throughout Kansas.

During the years 1895-98, Runyan furthered his education at Northwestern University. In 1915 Runyan began writing Gospel songs with the encouragement of D.B. Towner of the Moody Bible Institute. Runyan soon moved to Chicago.

From 1924 to 1926 Runyan was affiliated with John Brown University in Siloam Springs Arkansas and was pastoring the Federated Church and editing the Christian Worker’s Magazine. He moved back to Chicago in 1926 to work for the Moody Bible Institute and become editor of Hope Publishing Company where he co-edited “The Service Hymnal” with Gordon Stanley.

In 1923 he was presented with the Thomas Chisholm poem Great Is Thy Faithfulness and he set it to music.

In 1948 Runyan retired from Hope Publishing and received an honorary Doctor of Letters from Wheaton College. He retired to Galveston Texas and then later returned to Pittsburg Kansas where he died in 1957.

For a time in his life Runyan served as a professor at Baker City University. His children attended this institution and endowed the Rev. William M. Runyan Endowed Memorial Scholarship with royalties from the hymn Great Is Thy 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.

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.

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!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow.
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

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!