Day 3! Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Leaning on The Everlasting Arms. By Elisha Hoffman Music by Anthony J. Showalter.

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.
Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
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.




And a little story behind this Hymn.

Anthony J. Showalter had received some sad news from friends about loved ones who had died;  and in his reply letter he included the verse, Deut 33: 27.  But after thinking on the verse even more he thought that those words would be a great theme for a hymn.  He immediately wrote the words for the refrain and music for the hymn.  But he needed help for with the stanzas so he went to see Elisha Hoffman author of over 2000 gospel hymns.  Hoffman provided the stanzas and Showalter the refrain and music to the new hymn, in 1887,"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."