Lyrics
Verse 1
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, Thou forever will be.
Refrain
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!
Verse 2
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.
Refrain (Repeat)
Verse 3
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!
Refrain (Repeat)
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" is a classic hymn built entirely around a single theme: the unchanging character of God across time and circumstance. Its opening verse declares that God's compassion never fails and that his nature remains constant, "as Thou hast been, Thou forever will be," establishing faithfulness as a settled fact rather than a hoped-for outcome.
The refrain, repeated after each verse, ties that faithfulness to daily experience, describing new mercies seen each morning and provision already given. The second verse widens that claim to creation itself, picturing the seasons, sun, moon, and stars as witnesses to God's ongoing faithfulness and love, treating the natural order as continual evidence of his character.
The final verse turns from creation back to personal need, naming pardon, enduring peace, guidance, and hope as blessings already received. Rooted in a well-known hymn tradition, the song functions as a sustained meditation on divine constancy, closing each section by returning to the same declared truth stated at the start.
Related Scripture
- Lamentations 3:22-23 Describes God's mercies as new every morning because his faithfulness is great, the verse this hymn is directly based on.
- Malachi 3:6 States that God does not change, echoed in the hymn's declaration that God's character remains constant across time.