Lord to Me

Previously in 2020, just after Resurrection Sunday, I remember singing the classic hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness' in church. Soon I began hearing this new rendition and arrangement in my brain. In any case, God is at it again. Afterwards when I returned home, as I pulled out my Hymnal to figure out how this was all going to come together, I noticed these reference Scriptures (click on the links to read them):

• • Lamentations 3:22-23
  • Psalm 57:9-11,
  • Psalm145:8, 21

So, I looked them up. Likewise, I really liked what these scriptures said and decided to use them to craft the 2nd verse in the song. After all I was going in a completely different direction that Thomas Chisholm.

Given these points, let me introduce to the author of this tried and true classic Thomas Chisholm. Overall Chisholm wrote over 1,200 sacred materials in the form of poems and songs. Meanwhile, in 1923 he penned the words to this hymn and his friend William Runyan a fellow Methodist minister put the words to music. Later, as the result of the popularity of this hymn it was often used during the famous Billy Graham crusades. Born in 1866, Thomas Obadiah Chisolm was often ill and fragile. As a result his early adult life was difficult. Moreover, during the times that Thomas was well enough to work, he pushed himself very hard working long hours and odd jobs to make ends meet. Notably at the age of 27, he gave his life to Christ and found great comfort in God's word. In fact, Lamentations 3:22-23, was one of his all time favorite scriptures. After the completion of "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Chisholm and Runyan, a Professor at the Moody Bible Institute began to use the song in chapel services. Furthermore the song ultimately became the unofficial theme song of the college. Later in 1945, George Beverly Shea brought it to the masses during Billy Graham's crusades. In addition to his 1200+ writings, Chisolm also wrote "O To Be Like Thee," and "Living For Jesus." Although Thomas started life ill he lived to see the age of 94 and was laid to rest in 1960.