Great is Thy Faithfulness (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 733)
1 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.
2 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]
3 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]
Text: Thomas O. Chisholm; Music: William M. Runyan
Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A730924
Devotion
How does Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, inspire you to daily serve to the glory of God? Thomas Chisholm, after illness led him to leave the Methodist ministry to support his family, wrote poetry on the side. In this popular gospel hymn he writes of the Lord’s faithful mercies—revealed in the Word (Vs. 1; James 1:17); in the creation (Vs. 2; Jeremiah 31:35); in our lives (Vs. 3; Psalm 46:1).
This hymn’s basic message of the providence of God led it to be widely embraced, popularized by Billy Graham’s crusades, and sung in Christian circles around the world. As Thomas Chisholm experienced, the Bread of Life meets us in our daily need. When we feast with Jesus, we in turn serve the world!
Prayer
Ever-faithful God, you provide food for body and soul, enough to feed all in the world. Inspire us to share the Bread of Life with all, that all may taste and live. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.