Great Is Thy Faithfulness

     One of my favorite hymns is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness".  The words speak to the character of God which is unchanging, and in our ever changing day to day life, this is so reassuring.  To know that we have a God who will never leave us nor forsake us has been the hope of many during times of suffering and loss.  Certainly, this was the situation for the writer of this hymn.
     Thomas Obadiah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky in 1866.  He had a difficult adult life due to fragile health.  He was often unable to work as he was confined to bed from time to time; thus he had to push himself to work extra hours in order to make enough to live on.
     When he was 27 years old, he gave his life to Christ and found tremendous comfort in the Scriptures.  He knew God was faithful to provide for his needs, and one of his favorite verses came from Lamentations 3:22-24 which reads:  "Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.  “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!”
     At the age of thirty six, Chisholm became a pastor.  Sadly, he could only serve in this capacity for a year as his health again became an issue.  He took another job as a life insurance salesman, but his devotion to the Lord grew as he wrote 1,200 poems which included several published hymns.
     While Thomas was away on a missions trip, he happened to write to a friend of his, William Runyan who was a little known musician at the time.  Several of the poems that Thomas Chisholm wrote were exchanged in the letters while he was away and one stood out to Runyan.  He was so moved by the poem that he wrote a musical score to accompany it.  As a result, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" was published in 1923.
     This hymn was not an instant success, but eventually became popular when George Beverly Shea  began singing it during Billy Graham Crusades in 1945.  Little did Thomas Chisholm know that even though he had to give up the pulpit ministry he was still able to minister through the words he had written to encourage others.  Mr. Chisholm died in 1960 at the age of 94 and left the world a testimony to the faithfulness of God.
     Reading stories about hymn writers puts life into the songs that we share in worship.  This man did not have an easy life and could easily have lapsed into depression or self-pity.  However, the key to his joy was found in a relationship to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  This should speak volumes to us because none of us is immune from loss, sorrow, sickness or other troubles in this world.  We can either wallow in sadness or find comfort in God's Word as Thomas Chisholm did.  As we read the words to this hymn, let us rejoice in the faithfulness of God who daily meets our needs and gives us great hope for tomorrow.  Selah!
                           Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Chisholm – 1925

Great Is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Though 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!

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

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

A Rewards Program That is Out of This World

   

 At this time of year, many businesses as well as credit card companies offer a reward system for buying things.  While it can be an incentive for a purchase, it also can lead to a free meal or movie when the points accumulate.  Choosing to spend our money with care using the rewards can make a lot of sense especially at Christmas.

     Did we ever consider that God also has a reward system?  Jesus spoke about this in "The Sermon on the Mount" when He discussed loyalty in serving Him.  In Matthew 5:12 he tells us "to rejoice...for great is your reward in heaven" when we suffer persecution for His sake.  At the time of our difficulty it does not seem to us to be pleasant, but God sees our heart.  For those who remain faithful, they will receive a reward in heaven.

     Contrast this type of attitude with that of the Pharisees.  They had a pious habit of giving, praying in public, fasting so all would know it and giving their alms that men may see them.  Their pride of life betrayed the fact that they were merely going through the motions.  Jesus called them whitewashed  sepulchers (graves) that looked good on the outside but were full of dead men's bones (Matthew 23:27).  These leaders ought to have know better since they studied the Word and tried to carefully observe the Law.  Yet, going through rituals, following laws, praying and doing your good deeds in public does not earn us salvation.  Only regeneration by the Holy Spirit can awaken our hearts and make us ready to hear truth.

     Jesus pointed out that we are to do our good works in private to be known by God.  He said, "your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly" (Matthew 6:4,6,18).  When we serve our Lord Jesus out of gratitude for what He did for us, we have a right heart motive.  We will find that faithfulness does not create any lack in our lives regardless of the cost to us.

     Keep in mind that we do not serve Jesus just for rewards.  Nor do our good deeds make us any more saved.  God has done it all for us.  Loyalty and good deeds, rather, are to be done as an act of worship that exemplifies our thankfulness for His sacrifice.  In return, Jesus delights to encourage us with the peace of knowing that His rewards will outweigh whatever we have given up for Him.

     This Christmas let us live for Jesus regardless of the cost to us.  As we give ourselves away to serve others in humility and love, we will find a joy like no other.  His rewards last forever but the things of earth will pass away.  Selah!

With a Little Help From My Friends

   
     As a family, we have always tried to be there to encourage, support and pray for each other.  It is a blessing to sit back ( having raised our family and given them wings) and observe their parenting as well as their interaction with one another.  On our recent family vacation, some of our children, their spouses and our grandchildren went to a local playground that offered many fun activities.  One of the areas had a rock climbing wall.  When they returned I looked at their pictures and two stood out to me.

Reid and Aaron helping Branson
up the rock climbing wall.

In one photo, our middle son Reid was helping his special needs son, Branson climb the rock climbing wall while Uncle Aaron helped to lift him from the top.  Once he reached the top, he stood there with arm upraised to show the victory of accomplishment.  My heart was deeply warmed as I looked at these pictures.  It took teamwork to help Branson up that wall, and what a thrill for him to do what he could not do by himself.  To me, that demonstrates love and reminds me of another story of teamwork in order to help another.
     Mark 2:1-12 tells the story of a paralytic man who was brought to Jesus for physical healing by four friends.  The house where Jesus was teaching was filled so that there was no room to enter with this man lying on his bed.  Not giving up, the men went onto the ceiling of the home and cut a hole and lowered the paralytic on his bed down by ropes in front of Jesus.  Verse 5 reads:  "And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven'".  Of course, the Scribes that were gathered there complained that Jesus was blaspheming because only God could forgive sins.  They only saw the man Jesus and did not recognize their Lord and Messiah.  Jesus knew their inward doubts and spoke these words to them (vs. 9-11):  "Which is easier to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Rise take up your bed and walk?'  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins - He said to the paralytic - 'I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.'"  Within an instant, the man rose up, picked up his bed and went out glorifying God.  Everyone was amazed.
     There are some important lessons in this passage.  First, this paralytic man could not come to Jesus on his own.  He didn't have the ability physically.  However, he had four faithful friends who spared no expense to help him succeed in going to see Jesus.  These men were dedicated because when they could not get in the door they found another way for the man to be seen by the Lord.  Jesus even acknowledged their faith in Him.  We all need friends like that and we need to be a friend like that.  Nothing demonstrates the grace of God more clearly than to help another in need.  They cared about the paralytic man enough to go the extra mile.  We need to do the same for one another.
     Secondly, Jesus used this moment to teach those with ears to hear and eyes to see that He had the authority to forgive sins.  By telling the paralytic that his sins were forgiven, He points out that the greatest need this man had was not physical but spiritual.  His soul was more paralyzed than his body whether he knew it or not.  However, Jesus freed him from this bondage.  Then, the Lord commanded him to pick up his bed and go home thus healing him physically as well.
     Finally, we need to see a picture here of our own condition.  This paralytic could not help himself.

Reid, (left) and Aaron on top with Branson rejoicing at reaching the top.

 There was no "pulling himself up by his boot straps" in order to get well.  He was unable to save his own soul let alone heal himself.   With help from his friends, however, the man was carried to Jesus who did have the power both to forgive his sins and heal his physical body.  Here is a picture of salvation.  We are dead in our sins and unable to save ourselves.  In fact, we do not love God at all in our sin nature.  Yet, the Holy Spirit regenerates us and awakens us to the call of God in Christ.  He enables us to be healed of sin and set free to serve and glorify Him forever.  There is nothing in ourselves that can accomplish this.  Recognizing this should makes our hearts fill with gratitude.
     When I saw two brothers working together to raise Branson up that wall and help him reach the top, I saw this scripture come to life in my mind.  They helped a child who could not do this on his own.  As believers, we are called to reach those who are dead in sin who cannot help themselves and bring them to Jesus.  We cannot make anyone become a Christian, but we can tell the Good News so that they may hear.  The results are in God's hands alone.  May God make our hearts tender towards our neighbor that we might see their needs and make the effort to reach them for God's glory.  As we do this, our hearts will be blessed as we serve the King of Kings.  Selah!

Ever Doubt the Sin Nature?

     Here we are once again at the most wonderful time of the year when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Warm feelings abound, good will seems to be observed in extra measure and there is a kinder, gentler attitude among our fellow men or is there?
     During the long holiday weekend following Thanksgiving, our daughter and her husband went shopping for bargains during the "early" Black Friday sales.  In one store while they were looking at several items, they heard a fight break out over some video games that were on special.  It was at this point our daughter told us she did not feel safe.  Of course, it could have been worse.  She could have been at the store where a woman pepper sprayed her competition in order to get what she wanted.  At another location, someone was shot.  The newspaper reported a customer saying she witnessed two women fighting over towels which cost $1.28.  I find this all hard to imagine, but the Bible tells us that we should not be surprised since "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  If ever there is evidence of our sin nature, this is one occasion we can see it clearly.
     When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God in the Garden, not only were they cast out of this paradise but they also brought sin and death to all mankind.  As Paul goes on to write in Romans 5, he notes:  "Therefore just as sin came into the world through one man, and death, through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...."(verse 12).  Because sin has permeated every part of our being (our thoughts, our will, our soul), we are slaves to sin and dead to righteousness.  It is not until the Lord awakens us by regenerating our soul that we can come to faith in Christ who alone liberates us from sin and death.  His atoning sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection has broken the curse for us.  He carried our sin, and by His blood, we are made whole and clean.  However, it does not stop there.  Our life is a journey as we grow in our faith through prayer, study of God's Word and fellowship with other believers. Nevertheless, we would be foolish to think we will not fall into sin again.  As long as the "old flesh" still clings to us (though its power is broken), we can succumb to old besetting sins once more.  This is why it is so important for us to daily walk by God's Spirit, and be aware of what the Bible calls sin.

     In the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians, he enumerates the sins of the flesh and why it is important to lean upon the Holy Spirit.  He writes:  "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident:  sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these I warn you as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (verses 17-21).  We need to remember that Paul was writing to believers here.  He knew the frailty of our flesh, and made clear how we must walk by the Spirit.  In fact, verse 16 says:  "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."  Paul's opening verse of this chapter starts out with a call to take a stand:  "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).  The only way we can over come our tendency to return to the sins of the flesh is to rely upon the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to stand.
     If ever we have doubted the sin nature, Black Friday incidents certainly point to man's selfishness.  However, it isn't limited to this one day out of the year, and unfortunately, there are times when we see Christians also demonstrate sin in their lives.  The Good News is that the baby born in a manger in Bethlehem came to set us free.  He bought our pardon with His blood.  As believers, we need to meditate on this and live it out day by day as we prepare for this holy celebration.  We do not have to live according to the flesh.  Paul concludes chapter 5 to Galatian believers with these words of encouragement:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against  such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another" (Galatians 5:22-26).  Putting into practice this walk in the Spirit will bring glory to God and bless our fellow man.  Take time this Advent season to think on these things and be the example to others of Christ's love.  This is what our world needs much more than a Play Station game or some other bargain on the shelf.  Selah!


I welcome your thoughts and comments here.  Please feel free to leave a word of encouragement.