Does God’s faithfulness surprise you, encourage you, strengthen you, give you hope or does the intensity of trials make you questions whether or not God cares?
The hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” was written by Thomas Chisholm, who was born Lincoln-like in a log cabin in Kentucky. As a young adult, he was converted by the evangelist H.C. Morrison. Chisholm’s health was unstable, and he alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs, he discovered new blessings from God every morning. Lamentations 3 became precious to him, and he wrote this hymn after thirty years of serving Christ. It was relatively unknown until popularized around the world by George Beverly Shea and the choirs at the Billy Graham Crusades.
At Graham’s 1954 Harringay Crusade, Wilber Konkel first heard “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” and a flood of memories coursed through his mind. He recalled the dark nights of World War II, when London was nearly bombed into oblivion. “Each night as the enemy planes came over,” Kondel wrote, “we cast our care upon Him. I quoted this Scripture to myself. If used it in my prayers. Those were dark days. At times they seemed hopeless. It was in those darkest hours that God proved His faithfulness to me.” [1]
Life does not always bring us wonderful moments. This does not mean that God is not faithful. If God was not faithful no one would have made it through the difficult moments that Satan relentlessly provided. (1Peter 5:8-11)
A lady once asked John Wesley if he were to know that he would die at 12:00 midnight tomorrow, how he would spend the intervening time. His reply: “Why madam, just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Rev. Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, talk and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory.” [2]
Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.” (Luke 12:37-38; NASU)
Live your Life believing in God’s faithfulness it will keep you strong and give you hope in troubled times. (Psalm 34)
[1[ Morgan, R.J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stores, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed., pp. 359-360). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.[2] Tan, P.L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the times (p. 405). Garland, TX; Bible Communications, Inc.
