If you know our family at all you know that “Great is Thy Faithfulness” is the sound track of our life together. We have sung it at every marking moment – at our wedding, at the dedication of our kids, when we have moved, and recently at the 25th anniversary of our time serving at the church in Minneapolis. We were tempted to go a tad overboard and sing it when the Bears won the Super Bowl in ’86. Clearly it’s a thing.
We have sung this hymn with tears of joy during good times and we have sung it through tears of desperation, declaring it as a reality when it was hard to feel the truth of the words. But it expresses the truths of Scripture and that’s where we’ve chosen to stand.
This week we’ve been down in the suburbs of Chicago, celebrating Thanksgiving with family (a delightful, large extended family!). Wednesday night we went to a worship service and again we sang the words we love so much – Great is Thy Faithfulness.
After we sat down, a remarkable father of 5 shared about his faith journey with his wife who was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago. It was both authentic and God-honoring. He shared the good – she is currently cancer-free; the bad – their house is built on the rock of faith in Jesus, but right now the windows are broken, the paint is chipping and the shutters hang from the emotional and physical toll of the past two years; and the certain – through it all they have sung the soundtrack of their life together – It is Well With My Soul.
After he shared, his wife got up and played it on the cello. “It is well with my soul” – a brave declaration that death and discouragement will not have the last word.
What’s playing as the soundtrack of your life?
Great is Thy faithfulness, oh God my Father, there is no shadow or turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
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.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun moon and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness, to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
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.
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 and ten thousand besides.
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.
On this day after Thanksgiving this is what I’m thankful for – the certainty of God’s presence, grace, and faithfulness.
