A Reflection and Anticipation of God’s Faithfulness

by Kim Arnold

As we have been separated in congregational singing for many weeks now, we anticipate gathering again and lifting our voices as one in praise to our Lord. I have greatly missed the opportunity to sing with my friends and fellow believers and look forward to when our worship will, once again, be as a gathered corporate body. One of the great hymns of faith that has been reverberating in my brain over the past few months is “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” written by Thomas O. Chisholm in 1923. This hymn, written almost a century ago, has stood the test of time in the Christian faith because of its theological and aesthetic truths. The congregation in the early service sang this hymn last Sunday, and the other two will sing it this Sunday, so let’s take a moment to reflect on this hymn in devotional worship and reflect on singing it congregationally.

Stanza 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.

The first stanza reminds us of God’s faithfulness from our own testimonies. We look back over our spiritual lives, whether long or short, and can see where God made His hand of provision known in every circumstance. In the sadness, He was there. In the joy, He was there. In the heartache, He was there. In the unknown, He was there. In the sickness, He was there. His faithfulness is not dependent upon our circumstances. His faithfulness is dependent upon his character, which is flawless and compassionate. This stanza allows us, as believers, a moment to reflect on God’s presence in our lives, and we testify of His faithfulness to other believers when we sing this as a congregation.

Stanza 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.

We see creation and beauty reflected in the poem of the second stanza, which removes our focus from our present circumstances to our mighty God. As we sing through the text, mental pictures appear when we remember the brilliant colors of summer, the vibrant winter sunsets, the new life created in spring and the coolness of autumn. The creator of the sun, moon and stars knows the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7), yet He holds the universe in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 40:12). Reflection upon creation reminds us to worship our God as faithful creator and trust that He works all things together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28). We see His faithfulness reflected in His creation, and we proclaim His faithfulness to all who will listen.

Stanza 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!

Finally, we get to sing about our hope of glory! We remember our moment of salvation where Christ wiped away the stain of our sin, and we received his Holy Spirit to guide us through our earthly days. This stanza culminates when we anticipate our future hope being fulfilled of spending eternity with Christ. This action of looking forward to our heavenly reward is where we place our hope on the days of struggle. On those difficult days, we anticipate the freedom and fulfillment we will experience when we finally see Jesus face-to-face.

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.

Throughout the progression of this hymn, we move from personal testimony, to corporate testimony, to our hope of glory. And at the end of every stanza, we get to sing the refrain that bolsters our courage to stay in the fight. We remember God’s faithfulness in our own lives, and we choose to encourage others in their devotional lives. We remember God’s faithfulness in corporate testimony, and we choose to encourage others to worship the Creator, not the creation. Lastly, we anticipate our heavenly reward of spending eternity with Christ, where no sin, disease or tragedy will ever separate us from our Lord.

Through these truths we proclaim God’s faithfulness. I encourage you to make this hymn a part of your daily devotion for the next week. I think you will be amazed at how your perspective will shift your eyes from your circumstances to the faithfulness of our loving God.

Author Bio
Kim has been a member of Council Road for 28 years, where she loves singing in choir and helping lead worship on Sunday mornings. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Church Music and Worship from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and enjoys teaching future worship leaders the importance of biblical training in worship leading. Kim and Jason have been married for 20 years and have one son, Nolan, and one yellow lab, Daisy. When not working, the Arnold family loves walking and hiking in God's beautiful creation.