Scripture Verse

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22–23

Introduction

portrait
William M. Runyan
1870–1957

Words: Tho­mas O. Chis­holm, 1923.

Music: Faith­ful­ness (Run­yan) Will­iam M. Run­yan, 1923 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Thomas O. Chisholm
1866–1960

According to Chis­holm, there were no spe­cial cir­cum­stanc­es which caused its writ­ing—just his ex­per­i­ence and Bi­ble truth. The hymn first ap­peared in Songs of Sal­va­tion and Ser­vice, 1923, com­piled by Will­iam Run­yan. It is the un­of­fi­cial school hymn of Moo­dy Bible Ins­ti­tute, Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois, with which Run­yan was as­so­ci­at­ed for a num­ber of years.

Runyan wrote the mu­sic spe­ci­fic­al­ly for these words: This par­ti­cu­lar po­em held such an ap­peal that I prayed most ear­nest­ly that my tune might car­ry its mes­sage in a wor­thy way, and the su­bs­equent his­to­ry of its use in­di­cates that God an­swered pray­er.

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.

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!

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

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