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Leaning on Jesus Tom Barnard
“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy 38:27)
“Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.” Elisha A. Hoffman
We all know the influence that Charles and John Wesley had on their generation (and beyond, to this day) through their prolific production of great hymns. But did you know that John Wesley sought personal help and understanding of God through a German hymn writer named Gerhard Tersteegen? It’s true. Tersteegen was a product of German Pietism of the 18th Century, which would make him a contemporary of the Wesleys.
John Wesley traveled to the Rhine region of Germany in September, 1738. His contact with Gerhard Tersteegen led to his decision to translate a group of German hymns into English. Among them was a hymn written by Tersteegen—the first stanza of which reads as follows:
Thou hidden love of God, whose height, Whose depth unfathomed no man knows, I see from far Thy beauteous light, Inly I sigh for Thy repose; My heart is pained, nor can it be At rest, till it finds rest in Thee.
Though a bit stiff when compared to today’s contemporary Christian lyrics, the meaning is clear. There is rest in the arms of God. The psalmist understood it; the Wesleys understood it; Hoffman understood it. We can understand it too, and we can apply the truth of these hymns to our daily lives.
Father God, I know the lyrics to “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” but I need to do more than to sing the words. I need to experience the reality. Situations around me tend to undermine faith. They mock my desire to be entirely yours. I try to beat my way out of the wilderness in which I find myself, but when I do it within my own strength and resources, I fail. Teach me today how to lean on you—really lean hard on you. If I understand anything about you, I understand that you want it that way too. So, on days when I’m not able to sing the lyrics, I’ll hum the tune. Thank you for supporting me in this effort. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. |