New Spin on an Old Classic

Great is Thy Faithfulness.

Wow what a great hymn. One that transcends all generations. I am sure it was sang with the same passion when it was written in 1923 as when a 16 year old sings it today. Rather it is the version by Chris Rice or the traditional piano and hymnal, it is a song we all know. But I want to ask you, has it become so familiar that we do not even realize what we are singing? I am sure many of you can tell me the lyrics of Amazing Grace, I ask you has it become a favorite because it is classic, or because the words are so meaningful and worshipful?

In our small town there is not a lot of variety of churches to choose from, and almost all in the area sing hymns in their worship services on Sunday morning. Because of this many of the youth have grown up in a church that sings tunes written before 1970. Many of these worship tunes have been around since their parents and grandparents were growing up in church. I know this because I am one of these kids. There is a large selection of songs that I know by heart because I have been singing them for over 10 years. Great is Thy Faithfulness is one that particularly stands out. It is one that I enjoy the tune and the song is so classic I enjoy singing it, but I'll confess it has been a long time since I actually paid attention to the lyrics of this great song. It is filled with wonderful theology and packed full of bible verses. I want to take a look at the words verse by verse.

"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, forever wilt be."

Wow! I get chill bumps just writing those words. We serve a God who never changes. Although we change from day to day, our God stays the same. Hebrews 13:8 makes it very clear: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." His love for us never goes away. Nothing that we do makes Him love us any less. We can believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will not leave us. How awesome is it to think that the same God that created us is still faithful and committed to us today and forever. I could go on and on about the unchanging love of Christ but I'll save that for another day. Next verse

Summer and winter, and spring-time and harvest. Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above. Join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. 

God is the God of creation. All the earth was created for us. He has given us air to breath, water to drink, and food to eat. In Genesis 1 the Bible makes it clear -- "Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years. They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.' And it was so.  God made the two great lights — the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night — as well as the stars." -- It is impossible to think of the fact that God has created everything and not just fall down and say "You are amazing." All of creation points to the love and mercy and faithfulness of God.

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!

If this doesn't get you excited something is wrong! This verse starts with the idea that sets us apart as followers of Christ. God sent His son to die as a pardon for all sin. Nothing else on earth can compare to such a great act of faithfulness and love. Not only did He send His son, He has given us His spirit (presence) to guide us everyday. The psalms proclaim over and over that the LORD is my strength. Philippians reminds us: "I can do all things, through Christ who is my strength." On top of his faithfulness now, God provides bright hope for our future. A future with Him, apart from sin.

As we all know this isn't all of the hymn. Lets take a peek at the very familiar chorus.

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!

"Because of the LORD's faithful love, we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning. Great is Your Faithfulness!" - Lamentations 3:22-23. I enjoy when song lyrics come straight from scripture and this is one of those awesome examples. To me this chorus tells us that God will not hold a grudge against us. God loves us so much that each morning his mercy renews our strength and gives us refreshed joy despite our shortcomings of the previous day. I think this is why many people start their day with a quiet time with God. In the morning we feel more worthy. The stress of the day has not got the best of us yet. This time of year there is something refreshing and pure about the crisp early morning air. God's mercy for us is unfailing. We know that when we get up in the morning He is faithful and will always be there, no matter what.

To me, this great worship song just glimpses the great faithfulness of God. God is faithful to us each day, even though we fall short and do not deserve it. Because Christ faithfully died on the cross for us, we can find all that we need in God.

I hope this will make you pay attention next time you are singing a song you know by heart. Don't just go through the motions, really pay attention to the words you are singing.

Tyler