Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Fall has finally arrived in southeastern Kentucky. It will be a while before we have any significant color in the foliage but the temperatures have dropped significantly and the feel of fall is in the air. I love autumn and always have. I have wonderful childhood memories of making huge piles of leaves and jumping into them. I remember fall festivals at school and hayrides at church. From my earliest days I have loved the colors of fall. Every year I look forward to seeing leaves turn red, yellow, orange, brown and purple. One of the blessings of living in the southern Appalachians is the glorious autumn display put on by our native hardwoods.
A few weeks ago Rob wrote about fall in southern California and how it, too, has its seasonal changes. I guess most places do. I’m very thankful, however, to live where the four seasons are quite distinct. It adds variety and a sense of rhythm to the year. It also provides a wonderful reminder of God’s faithfulness.
My favorite hymn is “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” The second verse reads, “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.” For the writer of this great hymn, and for me, the changing of the seasons bears witness to God’s faithful hand behind Creation.
In Genesis 8 God promised Noah that He would maintain the changing seasons. He told him, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” As the temperatures have dropped this week and a few leaves have begun to present their fall colors, I am reminded one more time that the Creator of this world is still in control. It makes me want to sing “Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!” It also makes me want to go take some pictures…
–Chuck
(The image above was taken at Kingdom Come State Park in southeastern Kentucky.)