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 will be.”  Thomas Chisolm

  If you study Church History, you’ll find that many well-known Christians that we so admire today had very difficult lives. Many of our favorite songs we love to sing were written by those who knew very well difficult times and even the “valley of the shadow of death.” In fact, many of the believers that you and I admire, even in this church, have gone through deep waters. If we knew their story and the pain that they’ve endured, it would stagger us. That’s not a testimony of their strength or abilities, it’s a testimony of something so much greater – the faithfulness of God.

  One of my favorite hymns is Great is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Chisolm. I love it because the words come straight out of God’s Word, Lamentations 3:22-23. That passage was a great blessing and source of continued encouragement for Thomas Chisholm (1866-1960). He had a very difficult life, particularly his adulthood. His health was so fragile that there were great periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts of illness he’d have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs in order to survive financially.

  He was born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky and trusted Christ when he was twenty-seven. eHe studied and later entered the ministry when he was thirty-six. His ongoing poor health forced him to leave the ministry after only one year. During the rest of his life, Chisholm spent many years living in New Jersey and worked as a life insurance agent. 

  Yet, because of the many difficulties that he dealt with, Chisholm found tremendous comfort in God’s Word. I wonder today if many of our emotional and mental health issues in the Church would be alleviated, if not potentially resolved, if we were people who were consistently immersed in the study and meditation on the Scriptures. Yet, God’s faithfulness and that God was his constant source of strength in his times of illness and provided his needs, was particularly encouraging for him. Lamentations 3:22-23 was medicine for his soul: “It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

  On one occasion, while away from home on a mission’s trip, Thomas Chisolm often wrote to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these letters. William Runyan found one of Chisholm’s poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics…and Great is Thy Faithfulness was born. It was published in 1923. For many years, the hymn received very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor. He loved it so much and requested it be sung so often at chapel services, that it became the unofficial theme song of Moody Bible Institute. Yet, it wasn’t until 1945 when George Beverly Shea, the famed soloist in Billy Graham Crusades began to sing it during the crusades that the hymn was finally heard around the world. 

  Toward the end of his life, Chisholm explained, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.” Thomas Chisolm died in 1960 at the age of 94. During his lifetime, he’d written more than 1,200 poems and hymns including O To Be Like Thee and Living for Jesus.

  Just think, with each new day, God gives you and I the opportunity to prove His faithfulness. Throughout history, He’s never once been proven wrong, for His mercies are new every morning, no matter what.

  That’s what we are celebrating today – God’s wonderful faithfulness. Sixty years ago a handful of believers had a dream of a Bible believing Baptist Church in Burlington. We are their legacy. In following their footsteps, we truly walk on hallowed ground.

  I feel very blessed that I had the privilege of personally meeting all four of the previous pastors at Grace. Dr. Reuben Kile was one of the godliest, most passionate men that I’ve ever met. Even though I first met him in his later years, I was moved by his love for the Lord and love for people. He came to Burlington as a church planter. He and his wife Sandy, lived on a very limited budget yet left us this great treasure. They were followed by Pastor John Loggans and his wife, Marion. I knew Pastor Loggans when he served in Imlay City, Michigan. I preached for him one time many years ago at a youth conference, never dreaming that I’d one day follow his steps to our church in Burlington. His son, Bob, is one of my closest friends and a continual source of blessing and encouragement to me. Pastor Dewey Godwin was known for great passion for the lost, love for the Lord and a vision for the future that left its mark on our church. Pastor Ron Bergquist and his wife, Mona, were used by God to touch many of the lives of folk who are still at Grace.

  Our Heavenly Father is faithful. If you’re a believer, you’ve been adopted by a Father who will never ever change His mind in regard to you, never write you off, never leave you or forsake you. If you’re a part of God's family by faith alone in Christ alone, you have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother. You can’t talk about the one true God without coming to this truth: How great is the faithfulness of our God!

  When an intimidated Moses needed assurance about the massive assignment that he had been given, He asked for God's credentials. He wanted to know God's name. So God answered with His covenant name, "Yahweh: I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). What’s the meaning of that name? God took the present tense verb form of "to be" and used it for His name. It’s a name that expresses God's eternality. It also announces that in His nature and perfections, in His knowledge, will, purpose and happiness, God always remains the same. God never changes.

  In another sixty or six hundred years, God will still be faithful. May that be said of us! If Jesus tarries His return for sixty or six hundred years may Grace Church still be faithfully serving the One who is consistently faithful!

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