Great Is Thy Faithfulness

• Genesis 8:20-22
  (hymns)
• Genesis 9:13-15
  (hymns)
• Genesis 9:22
  (hymns)
• Deuteronomy 4:31
  (hymns)
• Deuteronomy 7:9
  (hymns)
• Deuteronomy 33:25
  (hymns)
• 1 Samuel 15:29
  (hymns)
• 2 Samuel 23:5
  (hymns)
• 1 Kings 8:56
  (hymns)
• Job 36:22-33
  (hymns)
• Psalm 9:10
  (hymns)
• Psalm 19:1-7
  (hymns)
• Psalm 23:4
  (hymns)
• Psalm 33:4
  (hymns)
• Psalm 36:3
  (hymns)
• Psalm 36:5-10
  (hymns)
• Psalm 57:10
  (hymns)
• Psalm 86:13
  (hymns)
• Psalm 89:1-2
  (hymns)
• Psalm 89:37
  (hymns)
• Psalm 103:11
  (hymns)
• Psalm 104:19
  (hymns)
• Psalm 104:23-33
  (hymns)
• Psalm 110:4
  (hymns)
• Psalm 111:7
  (hymns)
• Psalm 117:1-2
  (hymns)
• Psalm 136
  (hymns)
• Psalm 145:13
  (hymns)
• Psalm 146:6
  (hymns)
• Isaiah 49:7
  (hymns)
• Jeremiah 29:11
  (hymns)
• Jeremiah 32:40
  (hymns)
• Lamentations 3:19-33
  (hymns)
• Malachi 3:5-6
  (hymns)
• Matthew 28:11-20
  (hymns)
• Luke 1:68-79
  (hymns)
• John 14:18-19
  (hymns)
• John 14:27
  (hymns)
• Acts 2:24
  (hymns)
• Romans 5:1-5
  (hymns)
• 1 Corinthians 1:4-11
  (hymns)
• 1 Corinthians 4:8
  (hymns)
• 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
  (hymns)
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-12
  (hymns)
• Philippians 4
  (hymns)
• Colossians 1:13-14
  (hymns)
• Colossians 1:21-29
  (hymns)
• 1 Timothy 2:8
  (hymns)
• 2 Timothy 2:13
  (hymns)
• Hebrews 1:1-4
  (hymns)
• Hebrews 7:21
  (hymns)
• Hebrews 10:23
  (hymns)
• James 1:14-18
  (hymns)
• 1 Peter 1:3-5
  (hymns)
• Revelation 1:8
  (hymns)
• Revelation 4:8
  (hymns)

Text:

This hymn was written in 1923 by poet Thomas Chisholm, author of more than 1,200 poems during his lifetime. He mailed it to his friend William Runyan, who set it to music.

The text of the hymn is consistent to what was originally written, other than one minor change in the third stanza from “thy” to “thine” by the United Methodist Hymnal (1989) and Baptist Hymnal (1991) which is just a matter of tradition and preference. The New Century Hymnal (1995) completely modernizes all direct addresses to You and Your. The drawback to this is that, in order to complete the rhyme in stanza one, they modify “with thee” to “we see,” which changes the meaning slightly from complete emphasis on God to the agency of those speaking. The NCH also changes “Father” to “Creator,” which actually helps the transition to stanza two because of its focus on creation (and occasionally is not sung because it does not seem to fit with the other stanzas).

Tune:

Sung to the tune FAITHFULNESS by William Runyan, written specifically for this poem and published by Hope Publishing Company. Runyan wrote: “This particular poem held such an appeal that I prayed most earnestly that my tune might carry over its message in a worthy way, and the subsequent history of its use indicates that God answers prayer.”

The tune has a wide appeal across diverse congregations who prefer different musical styles. It has a repeated refrain similar to the repetition in modern praise songs, but retains the structural elements of a traditional hymn.

When/ Why How:

Although sung at any time of the year, it is often chosen for both funerals and weddings as a testament to God’s unchanging nature no matter the circumstance. It could be sung with songs of hope, such as “Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” or hymns of grief and comfort such as “Be Still My Soul.” If one wants to focus on the greatness of God, John F. Wilson created a medley in which he paired this hymn with “Great is the Lord.” Cindy Berry also has a creative medley of “Great is Thy Faithfulness” partnered with “My Jesus, I Love Thee” in 4/4 time.

Jasmine Smart,
Hymnary.org

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