“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.” Lamentations 3:22-23
We sometimes wonder where hymns and songs of faith come from. How do songwriters come up with amazing lyrics that touch us so deeply? The hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” was written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm, who was born in a log cabin in Kentucky and started teaching school at age 16. He became a Christian at 27, but suffered ill health and unsure job conditions. When facing uncertainty he turned to Lamentations to remind himself that God’s faithfulness is sure, His compassion will not fail. They are new every morning. The lyrics began as poems sent to a musician friend, who was moved by the words and wrote music to them in 1923. Moody Bible Institute adopted the hymn as their theme song. When Moody Bible Institute president Will Houghton died it was played at his funeral. Sometime later Billy Graham Crusades picked it up as a centerpiece of Evangelistic meetings that George Beverley Shea would sing at and lead the choir. The lyric author, Thomas, would walk the beach in his last years in Ocean Park singing the words joyfully. The song became widely popular after Thomas Chisholm died and his last song he wrote was “Living for Jesus,” because God’s faithfulness was so great.
Interesting,
Pastor Fred
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