Hymn Stories: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
Hymn Stories: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (Sam Stack) In looking for a hymn for this month’s hymn story, I looked back over my older hymn story articles. This hymn speaks great truths, especially in times of sorrow and uncertainty. As we look forward to this coming year, let us remember the truths of this great hymn. One afternoon in 1887, music teacher A. J. Showalter dismissed his class and returned home. There he found letters from two former students, each with similar stories. Both students had lost their wives and both wives had died on the same day. He began writing letters of sympathy to the students using scripture from Deuteronomy, having the assurance that God’s ‘everlasting arms’ will always support us. Then he wrote another letter to hymnwriter Elisha Hoffman, suggesting that he write a hymn based on this scripture. He even suggested words to a possible chorus. Hoffman wrote back the words to th...