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 wilt 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 spring-time and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
(Repeat Refrain)
Verse 3
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
(Repeat Refrain)
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This page carries the well-known hymn text that praises God's faithfulness in plain, memorable language. The opening verse draws on the thought that God has "no shadow of turning," a phrase that closely follows James 1:17, and that His compassions "fail not," which echoes Lamentations 3.
The refrain gathers those ideas into a single confession: "Morning by morning new mercies I see." It is personal in its wording, naming what the singer has received rather than only stating a doctrine. The second verse looks outward to creation, where sun, moon and stars are said to join "all nature in manifold witness" to God's mercy and love.
The last verse turns to forgiveness, a peace that lasts, strength for each day and hope for what is ahead. Because the stanzas move from God's character to creation to personal need, the hymn works equally well as a congregational song and as a quiet prayer of thanks.
Related Scripture
- Lamentations 3:22-23 The passage speaks of mercies that are new every morning and of great faithfulness.
- James 1:17 God is described as having no variation or shadow of turning.
- Psalm 36:5 The psalmist praises God's steadfast love and faithfulness.