Underneath

Dear friends, no preamble is needed for this excellent piece of poetry by the beloved A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian & Missionary Alliance.

Are you sunk in depths of sorrow

Where no arm can reach so low;

There is One whose arms almighty

Reach beyond thy deepest woe.

God the Eternal is thy refuge,

Let Him still thy wild alarms;

Underneath thy deepest sorrow

Are the everlasting arms.

Other arms grow faint and weary,

These can never faint nor fail;

Others reach our mounts of blessing,

These our lowest, loneliest vale.

Oh, that all might know His friendship!

Oh, that all might see His charms!

Oh, that all might have beneath them

Jesus' everlasting arms.

Underneath us - oh, how easy!

We have not to mount on high,

But to sink into His fullness

And in trustful weakness lie;

And we find our humbling failures

Save us from the strength that harms;

We may fail, but underneath us

Are the everlasting arms.

Arms of Jesus, fold me closer

To Thy strong and loving breast,

Till my spirit on Thy bosom

Finds it's everlasting rest;

And when time's last sands are sinking,

Shield my heart from all alarms,

Softly whispering, "Underneath thee

Are the everlasting arms."

by A. B. Simpson

Deut. 33:27 (KJV) "The eternal God is thy refuge,and underneath are the everlasting arms."

For a printable version of this poem, please click on this link:

http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/homemake/everlastingarms.htm

Fears and Doubts

Greetings, friends. Thanks for your visit. I trust that you will be refreshed as you take a moment here. May this be an oasis in the midst of a hectic day...or evening.

Elisabeth Elliot in her book, Secure in the Everlasting Arms quotes Thomas Carlyle who commented, "Doubt of any sort cannot be removed except by action." Elliot adds, "There is wonderful therapy in taking oneself by the scruff of the neck, getting up, and doing something. While you are doing, time passes quickly. Time itself will in some measure heal, and "light arises in the darkness" - slowly, it seems but certainly."

She continues, "I myself have been hauled out of the Slough of Despond by following the advice of the simple Saxon in an old English parsonage: 'Doe the nexte thynge'."

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
Time, opportunity, guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King -
Trust them with Jesus. Do the next thing!

Whatever is happening today, know that as a believer, a follower of "the Way", you are secure in the everlasting arms."

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." - Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)