Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
Anthony Johnson Showalter is a legend in the gospel music world! When two old students of his both lost a spouse, Showalter reminded them of a Scripture that could give them help and hope. This led him to start writing a song, which his friend Elisha Hoffman finished off. This simple song of faith has meant a lot to many Christians over the years! Perhaps it will become one of your favourites too.
Let's do another Friday Classic Hymn this morning. This is a hymn that I only discovered last year. In fact, last year around Christmas time I preached a series at our church on the different names of Jesus from Isaiah 9: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
When I preached on Jesus as Everlasting Father, I focussed very much on the fact that He's everlasting. In a world where everything good comes to an end, there is one thing that doesn't, and that is the love of God that we find in Jesus. For that message, I wanted to find a song that we could sing as a church and that would work nicely with what I was saying. I came across this hymn and vaguely remembered it because I think Guy Penrod—great singer, Guy Penrod—did a version of this on one of his albums that I had heard, but I wasn't really familiar with the song. So I looked it up, got to know it, and we sang it. We've been singing it quite regularly since. We've sung it a few times because it's such a beautiful song.
What do you know about this song? Do you love singing it, or have you sung it, or has it meant something special to you in your journey with God? Please share your memories and thoughts about the song below in the comments. By the way, if you enjoy hymns, you might enjoy my new album which came out, called Canaan Melodies. It's all these old Nazarene hymns that have been largely forgotten, that I've re-recorded and released. Please go and check those out. As always, if you haven't subscribed to the channel, can I ask you to do that please? I would really appreciate it. Share these videos around if you would—maybe somebody would be blessed by this video today if you would share it with them.
The Story Behind "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"
There are two names behind this song. The first is Anthony Johnson Showalter, a very well-known musician of the late 1800s and early 1900s. He's a highly revered music teacher and publisher. So great has his impact been on gospel music that he was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000, many years after he passed away. He had such a huge impact in the time that he was alive.
There's one hymn book that contains a first-person account from Showalter about the writing of this hymn. He said this:
While I was conducting a singing school at Halls, Alabama, I received a letter from two of my former pupils in South Carolina, conveying the sad intelligence that on the same day, each of them had buried a wife. I tried to console them by writing a letter that might prove helpful in their hour of sadness. Among other Scriptures, I quoted this passage: "Underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). Before completing the writing of the sentence, the thought came to me that the fact that we may lean on these everlasting arms and find comfort and strength ought to be put in a song. Before finishing that letter, the words and music of the refrain were written.
The manuscript was sent to Elisha Hoffman, and in a few days his completion of the poem was received. One of Showalter's daughters would also mention how she remembered him sitting down at the piano, pulling out of his pocket the full manuscript of the song, and starting to work on composing the melody.
Who was this Elisha Hoffman that he sent the words off to? He was a minister and also a songwriter, respected in his time. But unlike Showalter, who had been a trained musician, Hoffman learnt it all by ear. He was one of the few musicians of his time who didn't have to go through any training—he just picked up music and learnt how to play by ear.
Mr Hoffman picked up the song from his friend and finished it off, writing the verses. It became an instant classic. Once Showalter had completed the lyrics, the same day that he got them from Hoffman, he performed it at the local church, and people just loved it.
Both of these men wrote a lot more hymns than this one, but this one is remembered fondly because it just captures something that we can all relate to. Let's take a look at the lyrics that they wrote together and see how this applies in our lives today.
What Do the Lyrics of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" Mean?
Verse 1
Verse one says: "What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms."
That line repeats the whole way through: "Leaning on the everlasting arms." Let's have a quick look at the Scripture that's based on—Deuteronomy 33:27, which says: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
This whole song is based on this verse that says underneath are the everlasting arms. As you heard in the history, Showalter had this picture of these two people in such grief at having lost their wives, leaning on these everlasting arms—strong arms that you can lean on and find strength by leaning on.
Back to verse one, where he had said: "What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness, what a peace is mine."
If you are living your life leaning—at least leaning with your soul—relying on, finding strength on the everlasting arms of God, you're going to have great fellowship with Him, a great relationship with Him, joy divine in your heart, a blessedness or happiness, and a peace.
Do you know this? Have you given yourself to God and leant with faith, trusting in His strength and His comfort? I'm sure you know that these things come as a result of that.
Then comes the refrain which we sing in between each verse, of course: "Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms."
This was the chorus that Showalter wrote for those two men grieving. "Safe and secure from all alarms." They were obviously going through a time of difficulty, and he said: but you're still safe, remember you're still safe, you're secure and held from all alarms and difficulties in life. "Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms."
You know, it occurs to me that a simple song like this with a lot of repeated words can be very meaningful. Sometimes people criticise modern Christian music and say, "Oh, it's all so repetitive." Well, here is a hymn that's very repetitive—says the same line a lot—but there is power in that repetition. It's okay to repeat yourself if you're repeating something powerful. In fact, there's that one Psalm that keeps saying, "His love endures forever, His love endures forever," over and over again. It repeats because it's worth repeating. I think "leaning on the everlasting arms" is worth repeating as we sing the song, because it just reminds us of the strength and comfort and help that God provides us.
Verse 2
Verse two says this: "O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way."
How sweet to walk in this way, in this journey with God as a pilgrim. It's a sweet thing. Even as I walk, "I'm leaning on the everlasting arms." I'm walking, but He's upholding me as I walk.
Do you have a sense today that God is upholding you as you walk your pilgrim way, as you walk your journey, that His everlasting arms—strong arms—are supporting you?
"O how bright the path grows from day to day."
As you're walking along this path, it grows brighter and more pleasant day by day. Yes, you're going to have difficulties, but as you walk with Him supporting you, the path will be bright, and you will be able to endure whatever comes your way because His everlasting arms are upholding you.
Verse 3
Verse three is more encouraging words: "What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?"
If you are leaning on God, then whatever comes your way, you don't have to fear or be filled with dread. This is one of the great themes of the Bible: that although life can be frightening, you don't actually need to be afraid when these things come, because God is with you. So many Scriptures remind us: "Do not fear, I am with you," declares the Lord. What have I to dread when I am leaning on the everlasting arms?
Then it ends by saying: "I have blessèd peace with my Lord so near."
So near—He's not far off in the distance somewhere. He is close, and His strong arms are holding me.
Conclusion
I wonder if this is your experience. If this is your experience, that God is a strong, everlasting power in your life—the everlasting arms are underneath, and you are resting on them and finding your strength and your help and your comfort through Him. How do you do this? Well, by placing your faith in Him, and then by praying and reading the Word and living in Christian fellowship, reminding yourself over and over again that your God is near and He is strong when you're weak.
This is a wonderful song to sing. It helps us be reminded of His great strength when we are weak. I hope that you'll sing this song with me now, because for me, singing it just gives me such encouragement.
Thank you for watching, and thank you for sharing this video all around if you can. If you can support this online ministry, I would appreciate it deeply via my Patreon or my PayPal online platforms. But please feel free to just watch these videos—there's no pressure to support. It's just those who can that do, to support me, and I really appreciate it. Feel free to watch and sing along. I hope that you'll sing the song with me and that it'll just lift your spirits today, thinking about these strong everlasting arms that carry us.
