"27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and
underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deut
33:27)
God minces no words in relating His Power and His willingness to care for those
who belong to Him. This clause of verse 27 above is terse, simple, and yet full
of promise and power. Such strong and simple verses, when combined with
God-honoring music, constitute an invincible testimony to those whose very
being is centered in God. He will never fail to care for His own; after all, do
we not have the promise of the One who bled and died for us: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
(Heb 13:5) If we COME to Him, He will NEVER LEAVE us or FORSAKE us. Never
is Eternity! We depend upon God's loving care and Providence every day
of our lives - more truly, every second. "Cast thy burden upon the
LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be
moved." (Psalms 55:22) His hand sustains our lives moment by
moment. God saw in the eternal vapors of the past that no man could be with Him
except there be a Savior - and God provided Himself a Lamb for the sacrifice.
(Genesis 22:8) "And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that
there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his
righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of
vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke."
(Isaiah 59:16-17) This speaks of the Coming of Christ as Redeemer.
The words of our hymn today (Leaning on the Everlasting Arms) remind us that in
our most desperate sorrows and weakness, we shall not fall from God's protective
arms. He keeps them outstretched always to defend us from any fall. "And
the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an
outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.
(Deut 26:8)
Just a few miles south of Chatsworth, Georgia, where my grandmother lived,
there is a small rural community of 673 souls named White, Georgia. About four
miles north of this sleepy little village is, hidden by a railway overpass from
view from the road, an old Methodist Church called Pine Log United Methodist
Church. The church was constructed sometime before 1850. This old church
has experienced some vivid testimonies of the work of God in years past. In
1877, an evangelist was conducting revival there. On the last night of the
revival, the preacher said, "O Lord, I have preached my heart out to these
people to no avail. I have besought with pleadings. I have invoked the power of
the Holy Ghost, but to no result.. If you will, Lord, reach down your mighty hand
and shake this church to its foundations." Suddenly, there was an
earthquake that did, indeed, shake the church to its foundations. Reports claim
that all attendees were on their knees praying to the Lord for their
salvation.....including the preacher. I have a photo of a large stone out
front commemorating this event.
There was a second stone that commemorated another event that occurred about
twelve years later (1889). A.J. Showalter, A Dalton (Georgia) businessman and
lay minister was preaching another revival at Pine Log Church. He had just come
from a revival in Alabama. While at Pine Log, he received the sad news
that the wives of two men of his previous engagement had tragically died. While
writing his condolence letter to comfort the two men, this verse came to mind:
" The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms." It occurred to him that this would
be an excellent theme for a hymn. He immediately sat down and wrote the music
and the refrain for this wonderful hymn. He then sent it to a famous old
friend. Dr. Elisha Hoffman, in Philadelphia to add lyrics and to publish which
this famous hymn writer did. I am told that this hymn went around the world in
just a short few months without the aid of telephone or radio. It is the only
hymn that Showalter wrote, I believe. His old Office Supply business is still
at the old location in Dalton, Georgia, but is now called 'Dalton Office
Supply.' I went there with my father often while growing up.
LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS
What a
fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms;
What a
blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms.
Refrain:
Leaning,
leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning,
leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
O how
sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms;
O how
bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms.
Refrain
What
have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms;
I have
blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms.
Refrain
There is no greater joy or peace than that which comes from the certain
knowledge that God is our refuge and strength. We are not left alone to battle
the Dark Angel. God is with us with His mighty outstretched Arm. "And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:7)
Where is the Straight Way and the Narrow Way? It is illumined more and more to
those who believe and seek Him: " O how bright the path grows from
day to day," and we have NOTHING to fear as Christ is "a
Friend that sticketh closer than a brother." "What
have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms; I have
blessed peace with my Lord so near,
There has never been a people more zealously protected and cherished than those
of God. " Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow
of thy wings. (Psalms 17:8) The "apple of God's eye is that
little image that each of us make as a reflection in the very center of the
pupil of His eye as He watches over us. "He is my refuge and my
fortress: my God; in him will I trust." (Psalms 91:2) If we place
not our trust in God, who is left to trust? "In the fear of the LORD
is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge."
(Prov 14:26) The baby that awakes, terrified, in the dark of night is quickly
consoled by his mother's strong arms. The bleating lamb, lost on the mountain
ledge, is quickly comforted by the Shepherds strong staff of rescue. God is
always near you. Need you fear any gloom of night, or mountain storm? How can a
baby not love its mother? How can a lamb not trust its shepherd? How can a
Christian not love and trust His Lord and Shepherd even if the foundations of
the earth are loosed?
