October 2: Insight Post by Elaine Ward
Friday Insight Post
by Elaine Ward
As we complete this month’s focus on the spiritual discipline of guidance and this week’s focus on the scripture in Lamentations (3:22-25), I’m reminded of the old hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It was written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm and published in 1923 (the year my mother was born!). I learned to play this when I was around 8 years old, and it was often sung by choirs in churches over the first few decades of my life. I’ll share the chorus with you and tell you in advance that the lyrics align with the King James Version (KJV) of the bible:
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.
These words constantly reminded me as a kid that even though I was His (saved and baptized), life was still going to be hard. Even though I was saved, I would still get upset at my teachers, friends, and my parents; not have everything go my way, BUT He would ‘renew’ me every morning so that I could start afresh and stay closer to Him to continue to grow my faith day-by-day.
In my twenties, a new song came out based on the same scripture in Lamentations by a contemporary gospel singer and group, Eddie James & The Phoenix Mass Choir. They titled the song “You’ve Been So Faithful.” Here’s an excerpt:
As I look back over my life
I can see how Your love has guided me
Even though I've done wrong
You never left me alone
But You forgave me
And You kept on blessing
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope
It's because of Your mercy that we are not consumed
Because Thy compassions fail not, they are new every morning
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness.
Lord, You've been so faithful.
Even though sometimes I didn't do what You wanted me to do.
Lord, You've been so faithful.
I can never repay You, Lord, for what You’ve done for me
How You loosed my shackles and You set me free
How You made a way out of no way
Turned my darkness into day
You've been my joy in the time of sorrow
Hope for my tomorrow
Peace in the time of storm
Strength when I'm weak and worn.
Lord, You've been so faithful.
Even though sometimes I didn't do what You wanted me to do.
Lord, You've been so faithful.
Even though sometimes I didn't see what You wanted me to see.
Many decades later, this song still comes to mind when I think about God’s faithfulness. As I look back over my life, I can see how He has guided me. Even when I’ve been wrong and done wrong to others, He’s never left me alone. He’s forgiven me; blessed me; and continues to teach and guide me along my life’s journey. I realize that I cannot repay Him for how He gave His life for me so that I could have a relationship with Him that would last forever. He continues to give me hope for tomorrow, peace in the time of storm, and strength when I’m weak and worn. I’m eternally grateful for His faithfulness.
I pray we will all continue to reflect on the spiritual discipline of guidance and put it into action!
Elaine Ward
Leadership Team Chair