There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
I love flipping through old journals. There is something of remembering that leads to worship. Something of seeing bumps that were smoothed out that reminds me how big God is.
I pause as I see this first stanza of Great is Thy Faithfulness written in a journal in the spring of 2009. My husband and I were making decisions. Big decisions following discernment and prayer and asking wise friends.
I can picture myself writing the hymn in my journal. Up in our attic space, our retreat like house in Seattle. The words filled me with hope. With confidence that God would be faithful.
What would follow would be two years that we did not expect. What I believed was that by taking this step of faith that God would provide something new- right away. Our obedience would mean he would act- in a manner I expected.
When I wrote the words, I believed whole heartedly that God’s faithfulness would indeed by great. But my definition of what He would be faithful to would be adjusted.
A few years on the other side of our two-year desert, I can say with joy, great is His faithfulness. But his faithfulness is greater than a job. Greater than a title. Greater than a home.
Morning by morning new mercies I see. His faithfulness reaches deep into my soul and my heart. He shapes my character in ways I never want to change.
Everything I need. Peace. Joy. Patience. Love. Goodness. Strength. Everything I need his hand has provided. When the things I think I need are stripped away, I have eyes to see what my heart really needs.
And when the ‘other’ comes. The job, the title, the house. There is thankfulness for the overflow, but it does not define.
And I can join the psalmist in saying ‘his love is better than life.’ Your compassions they fail not, you have been and you always will be.
One of my favorite parts of blogging has been connecting with hearts of other writers and readers. My world has expanded. There is so much joy in discovering others who have similar heartbeats.
A few weeks ago I had such a connection from Kristen at Lyrical Grace. She has recently started a link up called Lyrical Tuesdays. Go check it out and if you have a song connected story or thoughts on your heart, link up with her!
Oh, Melanie — you must made my day! Believe it or not, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” has been running through my mind all day and it and your post and link to Lyrical Tuesdays is just one more way His faithfulness is great to me. I especially love this: “There is thankfulness for the overflow, but it does not define.” Thank you so much for your beautifully written post.
Melanie, This is one of my favorite hymns. Praising God for His faithfulness in both our lives.
Thank you, Melanie, for this post in particular. I always enjoy your writing but this one really spoke to my heart. This season of life we are in isn’t always easy and your insight into who God is as a Faithful God is making me think beyond my self and pettiness. Thank you and I am so honored to call you my friend.
My all-time favorite hymn! I always cry when I sing it!
Thank you! Over from 31-Dayers.